Once Again, Rose Tyler
by BelindaDuvessa
Summary: Season 1 Rewrite with my characters from Time Rewritten. The Wolf, to the displeasure of the Doctor, merges with her past self. Now he has a Rose Tyler who doesn't exactly know him, but he knows her. How can he tip-toe around this and find the woman he has fallen for? And how long before she starts remember what's buried inside? Rating may change. Updates will be weekly.
1. Prologue

_I do not own Doctor Who_

**Prologue**

The Wolf had been pacing, growing restless in her slumber. The time had come. She asked the ship to land. London, Earth, 2005. A great year for her. Silently, while the Time Lord was still sleeping, she reached to his temples and planted the seed. A thought, to get him going. She didn't erase his memory, she told him to not be concerned when he saw her next and she didn't remember. Events had to play out a certain way. Well, mostly. The thought? To come find her. Because the Wolf couldn't completely change her own past. That would unravel everything she was. But there was something she could do...

That's how The Big Bad Wolf found herself outside of the Powell Estates, circa 2005. Her past self and her mother, Jackie, were both fast asleep. Tomorrow night, that young, naïve girl's life would change forever.

She materialized in the girl's room. She always was a heavy sleeper and enjoyed her down time much more than she probably should. As the Wolf came closer, the girl stirred. Golden energy slowly sifted from the Wolf, flowing into the girl. As the last traces of the energy faded, the girl sat straight up, eyes wide, glowing brightly. Then, as suddenly, she flopped back down, back to sleep. She was alone now. The Wolf had finished what she'd intended to do. The girl would remember when she needed to, her memories slowly unlocking. The girl and her were one again and her life would play out as it should. Well, mostly...


	2. Rose

_I do not own Doctor Who._

_Some details and dialogue will be changed or rearranged. The general idea will still be there. Rose still has to go through these episodes, and for her to develop into the strong, 500 year old woman that she is, some events still have to occur._

_The stories will be third person perspective but the words aren't known until they are told to Rose. Don't worry, she'll be back to her loveable self soon enough!_

**Rose**

She woke to her alarm blaring. It was 7:30 am and time for her to get up and get ready for work. She slapped the alarm clock and groaned. God it was early.

She stretched before getting up. She felt stiff and sore. And she felt different than she had the night before. Colors seemed brighter. The pink of her walls made her cringe. That'd never happened before. The smells in her room also seemed to be a bit more. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the thoughts that were there.

She began her morning routine, giving her mom a quick 'Bye!' before leaving the flat.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

She went about her day, as per the usual. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was up. Something was different about her and it confused her. But she kept it to herself. The last thing she needed was her over-protective mother and her clingy boyfriend to start worrying and harping over her. Wow, where did that come from?

Work was the same as usual. Mickey came by and had lunch with her. Just a small bit before they both went to their respective jobs.

At the end of the day, as she tried to quickly scoot out the door, the guard stops her, shook the Lottery Money in front of her. She grabbed it and quickly made her way down to the basement to deposit it.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

A sense of déjà vu crept over Rose as she enters the basement. Of course it would feel familiar. She gets stuck doing this every time she works. The perks of being the low man on the totem pole. She called out for Wilson, the Chief Electrician. No voice, but there was rustling in the overstock of hanging clothes.

"Wilson, I can't hang about 'cause they're closin' the shop!"

She wandered through the basement, calling for him. She walked into the depths of the basement, into the main storage area. More rustling could be heard and she was now more than a little bit frightened. She made it about halfway through the storage area before the door slammed shut behind her. She ran back, trying to open it.

"You're kidding me!"

She heard more rustling behind her and she turned.

"Is someone mucking about? Who is it?"

The feeling of déjà vu was now worse than before. She knew she hadn't done this before but at the same time, she couldn't shake the feeling. She saw movement and she stepped back, running into the wall behind her. One of the shop dummies looks towards her. Then another. They inch closer, taking stilted steps, almost as if their legs don't bend correctly.

"Yeah, you got me. Very funny!"

They inched closer. Three total now, cornered her.

"Right, I've got the joke. Who's idea was this? Is it Derek's? Is it? Derek, is this you?"

All the shop dummies seemed to be moving toward her. The closest, inches from her now, raised it's hand. A very cool, but human feeling hand grabbed hers. She looked at him and he grinned, manically.

"Run!" And they ran.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They entered the lift, the shop dummies on their heels. One managed to reach an arm in between the closing doors. It tried groping and grabbing at air, trying to reach them. The man wrestled with the arm for several moments before it finally popped off. He glanced at it for a moment before handing it to Rose. Again, the feeling of déjà vu.

"You pulled his arm off."

"Yep. Plastic."

"Very clever. Nice trick! Who were they then, students? Is this a student thing or what?"

"Why would they be students? "

"I don't know."

"Well, you said it. Why students?"

"'Cos to get that many people dressed up and being silly, they got to be students."

"That makes sense. Well done."

"Thanks."

"They're not students."

"Whoever they are, when Wilson finds them, he's going to call the police."

"Who's Wilson?"

"Chief electrician."

"Wilson's dead."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They were outside of the store by now. Rose's forehead was scrunched up in confusion. She knew this man, but she knew she'd never seen him before. At least she hoped she would remember meeting him. Her thoughts were a bit off. This entire day she had felt like that.

"Do I know you?" He looked at her, sadness etched across his face for a moment. He quickly covered it with a wide, manic grin.

"Not sure, really. Met a lot of people in my life. Lots of travelin'."

"No, it's more than that." Her voice trailed off. He fidgeted. He knew she would remember eventually but it didn't make the pain any less. He'd just finally gone and admitted his feelings for her and she had to go and do this. He knew it was necessary, but he honestly felt a little bit betrayed. He mentally shook himself. She'd be back to him eventually. She'd told him as much. He just worried about how long it would take.

"Who are you, then? And that lot down there?"

"They're plastic. Living plastic creatures. They're being controlled by a relay device on the roof which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this." He held up a bomb for her to see. "So, I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might well die in the process, but don't worry about me."

He had planned to say more but the pain on her face made him stop. He regarded her for a moment before he began again, his voice a bit softer.

"No, you go home. Go on. Go and have your lovely beans on toast. Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed." He stepped into the door and closed it behind him. Rose was still standing, looking confused at the door he'd disappeared to. The door burst open again.

"I'm the Doctor, by the way. What's your name?"

"Rose."

"Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!"

She made her way across the road, nearly getting run over by a black cab. She turned back and gazed at the building just before the explosion rocked the upper levels of the building. Stunned, and a little heart-broken (not sure where that thought came from) she walked back to her flat that she shared with her Mum.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

She sat in the flat, stunned. Her job had just been destroyed. And that man. Something about him kept tugging at the edges of her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that she knew him. She was still lost in her thoughts when her boyfriend, Mickey, burst through the door.

"I've been phoning your mobile. You could've been dead. It's on the news and everything. I can't believe that your shop went up!"

"I'm all right, honestly, I'm fine! Don't make a fuss." God he was clingy. She'd never really thought of it before. Well, not before today. She was still thinking of this while he was talking. She deflected his questions as best she could. He finally gave up. When he leaned in to get a kiss, she turned her head. He shrugged it off and picked up the arm that she had brought home and pretended to strangle himself with it. She gave him a weak smile. He left, and threw the arm into the trash bins beside the flat. She excused herself shortly after and went to bed. She tossed and turned but eventually went to sleep.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_Rose stood in a place she couldn't recognize, but she did at the same time. The walls were bronze with elegant, twisting columns on the sides. In the center was a circular contraption. A column rose from the middle made of a clear substance, plastic she thinks. It moved up and down and emitted a soothing hum and greenish glow. She lost herself in the noise and the motions. She didn't notice him approach her._

"_Hello, Rose."_

_She jumped slightly at his voice. She knew she was dreaming but it seemed so real._

"_It's real, well, sort of. See, you're trying to cope with quite a few things. You, as you are, have never been through these events. However, there's another power at work who has sort of merged herself with you and she has. It's a bit confusing, even for me. The point is, your life from this point forward is gonna change. You're aware of these events, but you still have to live them. As time passes, you'll remember more. With me so far?"_

"_So, something invaded my mind?"_

"_Sort of, but you invited it there. Not now, but in the future." She blinked at him for a moment, trying to take the information in._

"_Okay. But why are you here? What do you have to do with all of this?"_

"_I'm essential. This is my ship. You are and were my companion."_

"_Companion? What exactly is that supposed to mean?"_

"_Whatever you want it to, Rose. The choice is, and always will be, yours. Your past and future had sort of collided here in this moment. Anything can change. It's already changing. That's why you're having the feeling of déjà vu all day."_

"_Okay. Say I believe you. What exactly does this all mean? What is the purpose of my past and future colliding, as you called it?"_

"_You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Now's not the time, honestly. When you've been with me for a while it will all come to you and make sense."_

"_You're so sure I'll come with you, then? I don't even know you!"_

"_Oh Rose, you know me better than anyone. It's a shame you won't really remember this in the morning, though." He stepped up to her. She didn't flinch back. For some reason, the closer he got, the calmer she felt. Well, mostly. She was definitely a bit…tense but for completely different reasons than safety. He definitely made her feel safe._

"_Why won't I remember this?"_

"_Because it isn't time. But you will remember. I just don't know how long it will take."_

_She nodded and looked up at him. He smiled at her. It was a soft smile, so unlike the ones he'd given her at the store. Something akin to…love…skipped across his eyes as he gazed down at her. She leaned towards him, not realizing she was doing it. He cupped her cheek in his hand, stroking her cheek. She nuzzled his hand._

"_I feel safe with you, and loved. Why?"_

"_Only you can answer that one, Rose. I still don't understand it completely and you, the future you, has traveled with me for months."_

"_I'm just an ordinary human. How did she merge with me?"_

"_Because she is you." She snorted at him._

"_Who else would be crazy enough to merge with me? But seriously, how?" He chuckled and pulled her into his arms. She relaxed completely._

"_Again, you'll know in time. It's time for you to wake up."_

"_Will I see you again?"_

"_I hope so, Rose. I hope so."_

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

She woke the next morning to her alarm going off and her mom yelling at her from the other room. She reached out and slapped it off. The dream was quickly dissipating, the golden threads retreating from her mind. She closed her eyes, trying to remember the dream. It had felt so real and she didn't want the feeling of safety to leave.

She went about her day as best she could. Her mom gave her several suggestions of places she could go and get a new job. She shrugged off the suggestions, her mind occupied with the events of last night and the dream she had. She couldn't remember the dream but somehow she knew they were connected.

Somewhere around midday she heard a rustling from the cat flap on their front door. She chastised her mom for not nailing the door shut but as she approached, she could see that the screws were laying on the floor. She crouched down and opened the flap to see the man, the Doctor, peering back at her. He looked at her, surprise across his face and she rolled her eyes. She stood up, opening the door quickly. He looked at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I live here!"

"Well what you do that for?"

"Because I do! I'm only here 'cause somebody blew up my job!" He looked down at the tool in his hand then back at her.

"You're not plastic are you?" He tapped her on the forehead. "No, bonehead. Bye then." She reached out and grabbed his arm. He stopped and turned to her slightly.

"You. Inside. Right now." She drug him inside and he went willingly.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor was a bit taken back by Rose grabbing him and hauling him into the house. He'd just met this early version of her but she already seemed to have a connection to him. Then again, if what he knew of what the Wolf did, his version was still there, right under the surface. It was enough to give anyone a headache.

They passed the first bedroom. It belonged to Rose's mom, Jackie. She was sitting on her bed, in her dressing gown.

"It's about last night. He's part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes."

"She deserves compensation."

"Oh, we're talking millions."

"I'm in my dressing gown." Jackie looks up at him and thickened her voice a bit, trying to be seductive.

"Yes, you are."

"There's a strange man in my bedroom."

"Yes, there is."

"Well, anything could happen." The Doctor looks at her and sweeps his eyes across her quickly.

"No." He quickly retreated deeper in the flat, not seeing Jackie dejected face.

Rose talked to him a bit while he was in their Living Room and she in the Kitchen. A small window separated them. He tried to busy himself with the various objects in the room. It wasn't helping. Being this close to her and her not really knowing who he was made his head spin, and not in a good way. He noticed a mirror and looked at himself. He'd been a bit afraid to, if he were honest with himself. Close cropped hair, blue eyes, big ears, and he looked old enough, in human years, to be Rose's dad. He sighed and tried to busy himself again. He heard the cat flap rattle and scrunched his eye brows together.

"What's that, then? You got a cat?"

"No." He walked over to the door to investigate. The Auton arm that he'd given to Rose and Mickey had thrown in the rubbish had made it's way back in. When he got close, it latched itself to the Doctor's throat. He wrestled with it, unknown to the other occupants of the flat. Rose walked back into the room and saw the hand on the Doctor's throat. She, however, thought it's him being funny, like Mickey was last night.

"Ugh, I told Mickey to throw that thing out." The Doctor managed to rip it from his throat, but it latched to Rose's face instead. She let out a small shriek as she fell back for a moment. The Doctor had recovered and grabbed the end not attached to her and started yanking. He lost his balance and they tumbled onto the coffee table. The Doctor struggled underneath Rose and finally popped the hand off her face. He wrestled it down and pressed his instrument to the palm of the hand and it went still.

"It's alright. I've stopped it. See, there you go. Armless." He grinned at her and she slapped him with the now 'dead' plastic arm.

"Ow!"

He stepped from the flat and started down the stairs, Rose hot on his heels.

"Hold on a minute! You can't just go swannin' off!"

"Yes I can. Here I am. This is me, swanning off. See you."

"But that thing was trying to kill me."

"Ten out of Ten for observation. Well done."

"Doctor." This time her words were tinged with something else. Something that made him stop in his tracks and look at her.

"You can't just walk away without telling me what's going on." He sighs heavily.

"Yes, I can."

They were down the stairs and behind the building now. In the distance she could see a blue Police Box. It looked familiar and she longed for it even though she knew she had never seen it before.

"Doctor. I know going to the police won't do anything. They aren't equipped to deal with this. But who exactly are you to run about like you own the place, fixing things like this. Who are you, Doctor?" He tensed at her words. This conversation wasn't going how he wanted it to. Or maybe it was. She no longer sounded like the angsty teen he had imagined her last night. She was sounding more and more like the Rose he knew with each passing moment. Perhaps that's why he stopped and grabbed her hand tightly.

"Do you know we were saying about the Earth revolving? It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go. That's who I am. Now, forget me, Rose Tyler. Go home."

The Doctor quickly lets go of her hand and walks off, towards the blue box. She stands there, watching him, not moving. A piece of her feels ripped out from his rejection. Was it rejection? She supposed it was. She didn't move as he disappeared inside. As the box disappeared she closed her eyes. She turned towards another set of buildings, to where Mickey lives. She needed to use his internet.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Her internet search came up with a name and address. A conspiracy theorist no doubt but it would give her information that seemed to be missing. Mickey thought Rose should drop the entire thing but she couldn't. She wouldn't. Something told her that finding out was important. That's how they found themselves later that day in a neighborhood. Rose was meeting this Clive while Mickey stayed in the car. A neighbor rolled out a black trash bin and glared at Mickey. He glared back but sat there waiting for Rose.

Clive led her to his shed out back. She'd smiled politely at his wife and son, who both insisted on calling him a 'nutter'. He showed her all the instances of the Doctor's presence in the past. His meddling and how death seemed to follow him.

Outside, the trash bin rattled and moved closer to Mickey's car. He stared at it for a moment, unsure of what he saw was real. It happened again and he got out. He slowly crept up to the bin and lifted the lid. He shuts the bin and tries to turn away to find that his hand is stuck to the lid. He pulled harder, trying to get his hand unstuck but the black plastic of the bin stretched with him. Suddenly, the lid opened wide and swallowed Mickey whole, burping slightly in the process.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

"If he's singled you out, making house calls, then God help you."

"But who is he?"

"I believe he's an alien from another world."

Rose blinked at him for a moment. Something in the back of her mind told her that he was right, but he didn't need to know that. There was something she could let him know. It kept niggling her from the back of her mind.

"Clive, no matter what your wife says, you guys stay home tonight. All of you."

"Are you alright? Your eyes..." He trailed off as he looked at her. Her eyes were glowing slightly. He stepped back from her, trembling from head to foot.

"Clive, if you want to live, stay home."

"I...I think it's time you left."

Rose walked out of the shed, leaving a startled and shaken Clive behind. By the time she returned to the car, she was back to normal. She got into the car with Mickey, and barely glanced at him. Maybe if she had, she would have noticed. But she was completely lost in her thoughts.

"C'mon Micks. Let's go get a pizza."

Mickey drove the car down the road, swerving heavily as if he'd never done it before. Rose still paid him no mind.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

She sat across from Mickey in the restaurant. The room was dimly lit. Rose was still lost in her thoughts and barely paid attention to Mickey who had started questioning her. It wasn't until he mentioned the Doctor, and became exceedingly interested that she noticed something was wrong.

"I'm not going on about it, Mickey. Really, I'm not."

"But you can trust me, sweetheart. Babe, sugar, babe, sugar. You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose. Because that's all I really want to do, sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart."

Rose looked at Mickey for the first time since leaving Clive's. Her eye brow shot up, confusion abound on her face.

"Mickey, what's this about?"

A waiter appeared at their table.

"Your champagne."

"We didn't order any champagne. Where's the Doctor?"

"Madam, your champagne."

"It's not ours. Mickey, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?"

"Doesn't anybody want this champagne?"

"Look, we didn't order it." Mickey finally looked up at the waiter and saw that it's the Doctor.

"Ah, gotcha." Rose looked over and saw him. Finally. Wait, where'd that come from? What's with all these strange thoughts?

The Doctor shook up the champagne and pointed the bottled at Mickey's forehead. The cork popped and hit Mickey in the head. Instead of bouncing off, the cork was absorbed into his forehead. Mickey lurched for a second like he has something in his throat then spat the cork back out.

"Anyway." The Doctor grabbed the Auton's head, but he didn't seem to notice. Even without his head, he got up and his hand changed shape, flattening into a mallet. Rose's eyes widen but instead of screaming, she got up and pulled the fire alarm, ushering people outside. The Auton destroyed the table they were sitting at. Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand and ran out the back entrance, the Auton following. Despite what her gut is telling her to do, Rose darted to the fence, trying to get through. She ignored the box that she saw the Doctor disappear in earlier. The Doctor turned and sealed the door behind them.

"Open the gate! Use that tube thing! Come on!"

"Sonic Screwdriver. Besides, why don't we just hop in here?" He unlocked the door and stepped inside. Rose stepped over, not believing he could possibly think that this wooden contraption could protect them. But she remembered how she'd seen it disappear earlier. On a whim, listening to her gut instead of her mind, she stepped inside.

She should be surprised. Really, she should but she wasn't. This is the place, and the man, who haunted her dreams last night. The Doctor turned to her. He expected her to say something. Instead, when he turned, she was stroking one of the TARDIS corals, the twisting column closest to the door.

"I dreamed of you last night. I didn't really remember until now but I did. I feel like I've known you for ages. Why is that?"

"You already know the answer to that, Rose."

"This place feels like...home. You feel like home. And this is all a bit weird."

He smirked at her slightly before hooking up plastic Mickey's head to the console.

"What's she called?"

"She's a TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimension in Space." He turned back to her and leaned against the console.

"So…that's a fancy way of saying 'time machine'."

"A bit, yeah."

"Will he be alright?" Her voice had gone soft.

"I really don't know, Rose."

Rose took a sniff, her face scrunching up like she smelled something awful.

"Do I smell burning plastic?" The Doctor turned to see the head melting.

"No! Dammit! So close!"

"You lose the signal then?"

"We should be close but no, I didn't completely get it tracked down. Why aren't you more upset about this?"

"Which part? The fact that Mickey is plastic and I might never see him again or that you're probably an alien and I'm in your time ship?"

He looked at her and blinked.

"I never told you I was alien."

She sighed and gave him a slight guilty smile.

"I did some research on you after you showed me the spinning of the Earth. Figured I might as well get some information on you. I had a dream about you last night. And this place. It kind of freaked me out. And now, I'm here. And I think I'm meant to be."

He blinked at her again. He'd heard what she said. He'd expected her to be more oblivious to everything now that it was past Rose but she was showing more and more signs of being the Rose he remembered, that he loved. That gave him a fair bit of hope.

"Well, that's a lot to take in. Yes, I am alien. That alright?"

She grinned up at him, wide smile on her face. It wasn't quite the tongue in teeth smile he adored but it was close.

"Yeah."

"Now, I'm going to go track down this signal. You can come with if you want." He spun around the console, pushing buttons, flipping switches and pulling levers. The TARDIS shook as she took off and again when she landed. Rose turned towards the doors and the Doctor bounded down the ramp.

"I was so close. But it shouldn't be too far away."

"I'll have to tell his mother."

"What?"

"I'll have to tell his mother that he's dead."

"If it seems I'm not caring it's because I'm working on trying to save every stupid little ape on this planet. Excuse me if I forget some kid named Rickey."

"It's Mickey. And what do these things have against us?"

"They don't. They love humans. All that pollution and oil. Toxins and dioxins. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. It's food stock was destroyed in the War. So Earth, dinner!"

"Your accent. You're alien but your accent is from the North."

"Lots of planets have a North. And really, in the middle of all this, you're going to focus on my accent?"

Rose shrugs.

"How are you planning on stopping them?"

He held up a vial of blue liquid.

"With this. Anti-plastic!"

"Anti-plastic?"

"Yup!"

"Ok. What exactly are we looking for, Doctor?"

"A transmitter big enough to send a signal through all of London."

Rose looked behind her at the London Eye, the largest Ferris Wheel in the world.

"A large circular object, like a dish. Smack dab in the middle of London. Must be invisible."

Rose continued to stare at the London eye. The Doctor finally caught on and looked at her. The at what she was staring at

"What?" She raised an eye brow at him and looked at the Eye again.

He followed her gaze again and understanding flitted across his face.

"Oh! Fantastic!"

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They made their way across the bridge, holding hands the entire time. He didn't want to let her go and for some reason that she still couldn't fathom, she didn't want to let go either.

"Think of it. Plastic, all over the world, every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires"

"The breast implants." Rose muttered. He heard and gave her the briefest glance before continuing.

"Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath."

"What about down there?"

They see an entrance tunnel that runs underneath the city.

"Looks good to me, come on!"

The Doctor opened the hatch and they both go inside. The inside is brick and they can see several chains hanging from the ceiling.

"That's it. The Nestene Consciousness, inside the vat. A living plastic creature."

"You going to give it a chance first or just do?"

The Doctor glanced at her before looking back down.

"I always give a chance. But never more than one. Too old and been betrayed too many times to do more than one."

Rose nodded.

"Then get to work."

The Doctor stepped away from Rose and approached the vat.

"I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation."

The orangish red molten looking liquid in the vat flexed and spurted.

"Am I addressing the Consciousness? Good."

Rose noticed movement on the lower levels. She ran down and saw Mickey huddled in a corner, hiding and watching.

"Rose, that thing is an alien. He's an alien. We need to leave!"

"No, Mickey, we don't. You do, though. Let me help you out."

"What? You're gonna stay here then, with that, that thing!"

"Yes, I am. Now up you go. Doctor? I found Mickey! They kept him alive!"

"Well, that was always a possibility. Keep the original alive to maintain the copy."

"You knew but you didn't think to say?"

"Can you keep the domestics outside? Thank you!"

The Doctor turned back towards the molten vat.

"Am I addressing the Consciousness? Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?"

The vat flexed, pulsed and spurted. It formed a bit of a face as it moved.

"Oh, don't give me that. It's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights. I am talking! This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go."

A pair of shop dummies grabbed the Doctor as Rose cried out in warning. One reached into his pocket and withdrew the anti-plastic. The vat pulsed, angry sounding.

"That was just insurance. I wasn't going to use it. I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not. What do you mean?"

A door slid open to reveal the TARDIS.

"No. Oh, no. Honestly, no. Yes, that's my ship. That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!"

"Doctor! What is it doing?!"

"It's the TARDIS! The Nestene identified it as superior technology and is starting the final phase! Leg it Rose! Get out!"

Rose climbed up and reached into her pocket, getting out her mobile. She tried calling her mum but the reception was bad underground. All she really managed to do was delay her from going any further. At the top level, she grabbed one of the chains. Mickey yelled at her, trying to get her to get down but she saw the TARDIS and the Doctor, both captured. She needed to do something.

"I've got no A Levels, no job, no future. But I tell you what I have got. Jericho Street Junior School under 7s gymnastic team. I've got the bronze!"

Rose swung down, knocking one of the Autons as the Doctor grabbed the other. Both Autons fell into the vat, still holding the anti-plastic. The creature in the vat screamed. Outside, all of the shop dummies that had come alive, stopped. Destruction was high but no lives were lost. Rose moved quickly enough to prevent the invasion from going anywhere. Jackie, scrambled to get back to the flat, purchases still in hand. Rose and the Doctor just stand there for a moment, both regarding one another.

_If only she could remember._

All three entered the TARDIS. Mickey was apprehensive but Rose was anxious, in a good way. The TARDIS dematerialized and reappeared in an alley outside of Rose's flat. Mickey immediately ran out and fell behind the first thing he saw, eyeing the ship and the Doctor suspiciously. Rose and the Doctor both stepped out.

"Fat lot of good you were."

"Nestene Consciousness. Easy."

"You off then?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you. Right then, I'll be off, unless, er, I don't know, you could come with me. This box isn't just a London hopper, you know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge."

"Don't. He's an alien. He's a thing." Mickey was pleading with Rose. He didn't want her to go.

"He's not invited. What do you say?"

Rose looked between the Doctor and Mickey for a moment then stepped over to Mickey. She leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"You are my best friend, but don't wait up for me. You deserve better than that, Mickey Smith."

"You're...you're gonna leave with him!"

"Yeah, I am." She gave Mickey a peck on the cheek before stepping over and taking the Doctor's hand. He was pleased. He thought he would have to ask her twice. Something told him he might need to. He'll ask her about it when she becomes herself again. For now, he's going to relish having her with him, where she belongs. Now, where does she want to go?

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_How'd I do? I changed a few things but also tried to make the episode run as close as I could to the original. Rose will quickly start to remember more as she spends more time in the TARDIS and with the Doctor. The joys of Time Lines rearranging._

_Oh, look for an update soon for Koschei. Should have it up some time tomorrow, hopefully._


	3. Rose Nebula

_I do not own Doctor Who._

_Alright, switching from past to present tense. Why? Because I keep switching between the two and the present tense seems to be winning out over the past. It made the flow a bit easier to write. So yeah._

_And again, straying a bit from the story you know. No running in this one. Pure fluff._

**The Rose Nebula**

Rose stands in the Console Room, taking it all in. The Doctor is standing by the Rotor, watching her. He loves seeing things out of someone else's eyes. It puts a fresh spin on his perspective. What he really wants, right now, more than anything, is to take her into his arms but he knows it's too soon for that.

"Right then, Rose Tyler, you tell me. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?"

"Honest answer?"

"Preferably."

"I'm exhausted, but too wired to really go to sleep. Anything at all we could do that doesn't involve running for our lives?"

He stands there, thinking for a moment. There are several places he could take her, but what would take her breath away? That's what he really wanted, to leave her completely awestruck.

He dances around the Console, hitting buttons, flipping switches and finally, he pulls down a lever. The TARDIS shakes for a moment, then stops. It's not the bone jarring shake, like it usually is. It feels like floating. He looks at the monitor and taps a few things in. Satisfied, he leaps down the ramp, grabbing Rose's hand in the process.

He positions her in front of the doors and leans in close.

"This, Rose Tyler, is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen."

She looks at him and grins. He grins back and leans in close.

"You have to close your eyes for this one. I'll tell you when to open." She looks at him for a moment.

"You trust me, right?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Then cover your eyes!"

She grins and places her hands over her eyes. She feels him move from behind her and step in front to open the doors. She feels him move back behind her and place his hands gently on her shoulders.

"One step forward, and open your eyes."

Rose steps forward, drops her hands and freezes. She's in space, actual space.

"It's called the Rosette Nebula, or Rose Nebula. The young stars emit radiation, which is absorbed by the gases which creates more radiation, which is what you see here."

"We safe standing here like this?"

"Yup. I extended the atmospheric shell a bit. That's what's keepin' us alive. The shields protect you from the various harmful elements. Radiation and the like. Which is why you don't go out until I tell you it's safe. Got it?"

"Yeah." His hands are still on her shoulders and she places both hers on top of his. She threads their fingers together and leans back slightly, resting her back on his chest. They stand there, watching the timelessness of space.

Eventually, his arms fall off her shoulders to wrap around her waist. She hadn't moved, and neither had he. He rested his chin on the top of her head and sighed.

"You alright there, Doctor?"

"Actually, yeah. This is the best I've felt...well ever really." She turns slightly, so she can look at him properly. He sees a small flash of gold in her eyes.

"You look younger than I have ever seen you, Doctor. Less of a weight on your shoulders."

"I think I have you to thank for that."

He watches as the gold leaves her eyes. Rose, this newer Rose, kisses him on the cheek and, surprised by her boldness, she blushes. He's stunned for a moment but he gives her a small smile.

She turns back to look out the door. For now, they are both content for they know their next adventure is just around the corner.


	4. The End of the World

_I do not own Doctor Who. Again, things will change throughout this chapter from what you know._

**The End of the World**

They stand in companionable silence, staring out the door. His hands still linger at her waist, barely touching. Her voice drifts up, shaking him out of his stupor. He's lost himself in her.

"We have somewhere to be. An important event, one which we cannot skip."

"And where shall you have me take you, Rose Tyler?"

She spins in his arms, her eyes that tell-tale gold that he knows is his Rose and not this young whelp of a girl he has managed to replace her with.

"The End of the World. We have a date with an old friend."

She steps from him, his hands falling uselessly at his sides. When did she become the driver of this magnificent ship? Oh yeah, when she stepped on board.

He thinks for a moment before he realizes what she had said. Obviously not the end of his World. They had already been there. Well, sort of. So she must mean the end of hers. He runs up the ramp, dancing around the Console. She is sitting on the jump seat, watching him, eyes back to her original color.

_'The bouncing back and forth between them...it's enough to give anyone a headache. I wish she'd pick one and stay.'_ But as soon as he thinks that, he realizes it's not true. He's just an intrigued by this younger Rose that he gets to impress as he is the older Rose, the Wolf, who impresses him. There's nothing she can't do, when she decides she wants it. Something tells him this younger Rose is the same.

The TARDIS, along with her pilot, guides them to Platform One.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He takes her hand and they step out onto the space station.

"You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year five point five slash apple slash twenty six. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day"

He glances at his watch.

"This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."

The automated messaging system announced that 'Earth Death' would be at 'fifteen thirty-nine' and guests could find refreshments in the Manchester Suite.

"So when it says guests, does it mean people?"

"Depends on your definition."

"Humans. What does it actually mean?"

"Aliens." She glances at him and he has the widest grin on his face. One she can't help but return.

"Well, what are they doing on this space station. What's it all for?"

"The great and good are gathered to watch the world burn."

"What for?"

"Fun."

The Doctor never stops as he's talking to her, and never lets go over her hand. He uses his sonic to open the doors leading to the main platform for the "performance". He wonders to himself what 'friend' he is supposed to be meeting here.

"Mind you, when I say the great and good, what I really mean are the rich and powerful."

"Wait, I saw this on Newsround Extra. The sun to expand, that takes hundreds of years."

"Millions, but the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun."

"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things."

"They did, and the Trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over."

"How long's it got?"

"About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted."

"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?"

"I'm not saving it. Time's up. This is what is referred to as a 'Fixed Point' in Time. Something that has to happen."

"But what about the people?"

"It's empty. They're all gone. No one left."

"Just me, then."

The steward, tall, blue skinned, and radiating tension, steps up to them.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Oh, that's nice, thanks."

"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now."

"That's me. I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation. Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor plus one. I'm the Doctor, this is Rose Tyler. She's my plus one. Is that all right?"

The Doctor shows the steward a blank piece of paper in a leather casing similar to a wallet. The Steward is seemingly satisfied with what he sees because he ushers them along.

"Slightly psychic paper. Let's them see whatever I want it to. Saves a lot of time."

"He's blue."

"Yeah. Alien. To you anyway."

"Okay." She glances around taking is all in. It's not a lot, really. But then the flows of people start marching in. The gift exchange seems to throw the Doctor off for a moment but if nothing else, he is a master of improvisation. Rose lifts an eyebrow at the first exchange. The woman's reaction seems a bit, intimate. Something inside Rose growls, deep and reverberating. Her eyes show a flash and the tiny growl escapes her lips before the Doctor realizes what has happened. He grips her hand tightly in his but he doesn't know what to do. The lady, Jabe apparently, understands what is going on and she and her consorts venture off.

Wave after wave of guests step up to greet them. Rose finds herself spit on. They get a metal ball from The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. The Face of Boe seems awfully familiar to her but she's never seen him before. She would remember a face like that, she hoped. Finally, the last person. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien. Rose can't help but snort at her. A flap of skin stretched across a metal frame. Rose shudders when she starts talking.

"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturise me. Moisturise me."

One of her attendants uses a pump spray on the skin.

"Truly, I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honour them and say goodbye. Oh, no tears, no tears. I'm sorry. But behold, I bring gifts. From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband? Oh, no. Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines. And here, another rarity."

Rose walks around the flap of skin, taking her in. She can't believe that this thing is alive, let alone claiming to be the last human! Oh how humanity has fallen. A Juke Box is wheeled in.

"According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!"

'Tainted Love' by Soft Cell plays throughout the Observation Deck. Rose finally ventures away from Cassandra and stands at one of the big windows facing the Earth. The Doctor is busy mingling, seemingly not paying attention. Rose almost panics and leaves the room but something stops her. The Face of Boe sidles up next to her. She gasps as he enters her mind to talk. She loses herself for a moment as the Wolf takes over.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_'Hello Wolf.'_

_'Hello Jack.'_

_'You know who I am. This must be your second time around.'_

_'It is. How are you my friend?'_

_'Better, now that I know you are here and safe. I wasn't sure how you would get here this time. He didn't have the incentive to be impressive after all, nor to show you the end of your world so you could understand him better. He hasn't done that now.'_

_'I know. And I hate having to relive these events. Some of them are cruel.'_

_'They are. And some of them have to occur as you remember them, Wolf.'_

_'I know. Fixed points and all of that. I am becoming more and more aware with each moment that passes.'_

_'Be careful how you tread. Foreknowledge is dangerous.'_

_'I know that, Jack. And I'll try to keep my head as things progress.'_

_'He loves you, you know. Even now. And he'll wait a lifetime for you. Don't make him wait that long.'_

_'I won't, Jack.'_

The Wolf recedes and lets the younger Rose back to the front.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

'_Are you alright, Rose?'_

"Yeah, sorry. Just blanked out for a moment. You sponsored this?"

_'I did. If it were to be the last moment of Earth, it needed to be witnessed. I wish I hadn't had to bring Cassandra along but once she gets her claws in, it's hard to get her to back down.'_

"She seems a bit..."

_'Rude. Extremely rude. And not ginger. Just a flap of skin.'_

Rose snorts. The Doctor gets cornered by Jabe who takes a picture of the Doctor. The Doctor, finally wrenching himself from the other guests, joins them. Introductions are made.

"I thought you would be overwhelmed."

"I thought so too. But then, this is amazing. And I knew coming with you I would get to see a bit more than I had ever imagined. It's a lot to take in, yeah, but I wouldn't have missed it."

"Good."

Before he has a chance to say anything else, the Steward announces that the owner of the blue box needs to report to the Steward's office. Rose bites back a small giggle and he shoots her a grumpy look.

"I have to get this sorted."

Rose nods. She follows him to the hall but veers right at an intersection. A young woman in what appears to be work clothes stands at the end of the corridor. She's the same bright blue that the steward is. Rose tentatively approaches her.

"Sorry. Am I allowed to be in here?" The girl doesn't speak. It looks as if she is waiting for something. Rose looks at her confused before the girl finally gets the nerve to speak.

"You have to give us permission to talk."

"Er, you have permission."

"Thank you. And, no, you're not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere."

"Okay."

The girl goes to a wall panel and unlocks it.

"What's your name?"

"Raffalo."

"Raffalo?"

"Yes, miss. I won't be long, I've just got to carry out some maintenance. There's a tiny little glitch in the Face of Boe's suite. There must be something blocking the system. He's not getting any hot water."

"So, you're a plumber?"

"That's right, miss."

"They still have plumbers?"

"I hope so, else I'm out of a job."

"Where are you from?"

"Crespallion."

"That's a planet, is it?"

"No. Crespallion's part of the Jaggit Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Junction, Convex fifty six. And where are you from, miss? If you don't mind me asking."

"No, not at all. Er, I don't know. A long way away. I just sort of hitched a lift with this man. I didn't even think about it. I don't even know who he is. He's a complete stranger. But I feel like I do know him. It's strange, really. Anyway, don't let me keep you. Good luck with it."

"Thank you, miss. And er, thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate.

" Okay. See you later."

Rose leaves. She can't shake the feeling that something is off but she can't quite place her finger on it. Raffalo removes the wall panel and has a look inside.

"Now then. Control, I'm at junction nineteen and I think the problem's coming from in here. I'll go inside and have a look."

Before she can crawl into the conduit, there is a tapping sound of metal on metal and a shadow in the back that she can't quite identify.

"What's that? Is something in there?"

A metal spider comes towards her. The body is shaped like a sphere and it has four thin legs.

"Oh! Who are you, then?"

It scuttles away.

"Hold on! I if you're an upgrade I just need to register you, that's all. Oh, come back."

She crawls inside the conduit.

"Ah, there you are. Now, I just need to register your ident. Oh, there's two of you. Got yourself a little mate. I think I'd better report this to Control. How many of you are there? What are you? Oh, no, no, no!"

She screams as several of the creatures emerge from the vent and drag her away.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

"Earth Death in twenty-five minutes."

The Doctor rolls his eyes. Rose has wandered off. Of course she has. Rules number one: Don't wander off. Of course, he hadn't told her that. Not this her. So really her going missing was his fault. Great.

He finds her sitting in another observation room, alone.

"Rose, you alright?"

"Great. Yeah, fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper. They're just so alien. The aliens are so alien. You look at 'em and they're alien. I was doing alright at first, with you there with me. Even the Face of Boe was comforting. But then we got separated and I just, lost it a bit."

"Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South."

"Where are you from?"

"All over the place." He doesn't want to be evasive with Rose. Never her.

"They all speak English."

"No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the Tardis. The telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates."

"It's inside my brain?"

"Well, in a good way." He's afraid she will run at this revelation.

"Your machine gets inside my head. It gets inside and it changes my mind? Like when I was talking to the Face of Boe?"

"Pretty much. She's telepathic. To make things easier on all of us, me included, she translates. Any language I know, she will translate."

"Who are you, then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you? Who did I run away with without a care in the world to my mum or Mickey?"

"I'm just the Doctor."

"From what planet?"

"Well, it's not as if you'll know where it is!" His voice has raised a bit.

"Where are you from?"

"What does it matter?"

"Tell me who you are!"

"This is who I am, right here, right now, all right? All that counts is here and now, and this is me." He's yelling at her. Why is he yelling at her? Couldn't be that she'd provoked him a bit. Even though his planet hadn't burned, it was still lost to him. He still ached for it.

"Yeah, and I'm here too because you brought me here, so just tell me."

"Earth Death in twenty minutes. Earth Death in twenty minutes." The computer count down was starting to get on Rose's nerves. She has a bit of a realization at this. She's irritated and directing it towards the Doctor. She takes a deep, cleansing breath and addresses him again, voice softer than before.

"All right. As my mate Shareen says, don't argue with the designated driver."

Rose takes out her mobile phone.

"Can't exactly call for a taxi. There's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit."

"Tell you what."

He grabs her phone, surprising her. He takes her phone apart, making her a bit anxious. She hopes he knows what he's doing.

"With a little bit of jiggery pokery."

"Is that a technical term, jiggery pokery?"

"Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?"

"No, I failed hullabaloo."

He relaxes inside. They are bantering again. So long as they are teasing one another, everything is okay. He watches her as she makes a phone call to her mum. He listens as she tells her mum that she might be a bit late getting home.

The entire space station shakes, prompting the Doctor from his thoughts. He looks at her and grins as she hangs up.

"That's not supposed to happen." He grabs her hand and they run from the room, looking for trouble.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They make their way back to the main observation deck. The Doctor overhears Moxx of Balhoon as they enter the room.

"Indubitably, this is the Bad Wolf scenario. I find the inherent laxity of the on-going multiverse"

"That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What do you think, Jabe? Listened to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?"

"It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Where's the engine room?"

"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you and your wife."

"She's not my wife."

"Partner?"

"No."

"Concubine?"

"Nope."

"Prostitute?"

At this last, Rose loses what little control she has. Before the Doctor can react, the Wolf is peaking out at Jabe. Eyes flash gold and a low growl escapes her lips.

"What we are, daughter of Cheem, is complicated. You'll do well to remember that. I'm normally not so quick to anger but I'm already growing restless. Doctor, you have a space station to save. And me? I'm going to go talk to the last human. Wonder if she's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf."

"Rose...look at me, love." Rose stares at him, the gold slowly fading. He breathes a sigh. The episodes seem to be coming more frequently. A small part of him wonders if that's good or bad. He mentally shakes himself. No time to think about that right now.

"Don't start a fight." His voice is barely above a whisper.

Rose nods at him and turns to walk off. He offers Jabe his arm.

"I'm all yours."

"What about Rose?" To Jabe's surprise, the Doctor just grins.

"And I want you home by midnight, mister!" Rose yells back at him as she is walking towards Cassandra. The Doctor snickers to himself.

"Earth Death in fifteen minutes. Earth Death in fifteen minutes."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Jabe leads the Doctor to her suite and the maintenance corridor behind it. Several of the metal 'spiders' are crawling behind the piping, unseen and unheard over the din.

"Who's in charge of Platform One? Is there a Captain or what?"

"There's just the Steward and the staff. All the rest is controlled by the metal mind."

"You mean the computer? But who controls that?"

" The Corporation. They move Platform One from one artistic event to another"

" But there's no one from the Corporation on board."

" They're not needed. This facility is purely automatic. It's the height of the Alpha class. Nothing can go wrong."

" Unsinkable?"

" If you like. The nautical metaphor is appropriate."

" You're telling me. I was on board another ship once. They said that was unsinkable. I ended up clinging to an iceberg. It wasn't half cold. So, what you're saying is, if we get in trouble there's no one to help us out?"

" I'm afraid not."

" Fantastic."

" I don't understand. In what way is that fantastic?"

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose makes her way over to Cassandra. The trampoline, she has decided to call her.

"Soon, the sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die. That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy, down there. Mummy and Daddy had a little house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevice. I'd have such fun."

"What happened to everyone else? The human race, where did it go?" Rose was trying really hard not to come unglued. Something told her that Cassandra was bad news. But so far she had no real proof of that.

"They say mankind has touched every star in the sky."

"So, you're not the last human."

"I am the last pure human. The others mingled. Oh, they call themselves New humans and Proto-humans and Digi-humans, even 'Humanish, but you know what I call them? Mongrels. "

"Right. We had a bloke like that once. Fancied himself and his the 'pure' race. Committed genocide trying to eradicate all the others. Humans evolve, Cassandra. And once they hit the stars, they bred, which is their nature. This, what you have done, isn't natural for a human."

"I kept myself pure. "

"Pure. Disgusting is more like it." She whispers that, almost to herself before addressing Cassandra, voice a bit louder. "How many operations have you had? "

"Seven hundred and eight. Next week, it's seven hundred and nine. I'm having my blood bleached. Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flatter, Rose. You've got a little bit of a chin poking out."

"I'd rather die."

"Honestly, it doesn't hurt."

"No, I mean it. I would rather die. It's better to die than live like you, a bitchy trampoline. "

"Oh, well. What do you know."

"I was born on that planet, and so was my mum, and so was my dad, and that makes me officially the last human being in this room, 'cos you're not human. You've had it all nipped and tucked and flattened till there's nothing left. Anything human got chucked in the bin. You're just skin, Cassandra. Lipstick and skin. Nice talking."

Rose leaves not noticing that she is being watched. She's angry. The Face of Boe sighs. It doesn't matter that he has heard of their 'first date' a million times, it still breaks something in him seeing Rose so young. So untested. But then, she's no longer just Rose. He smiles to himself. This should be interesting.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor and Jabe are following the maintenance duct, spiders unseen around them. They've infiltrated the entire mainframe and most of the systems.

"So tell me, Jabe, what's a tree like you doing in a place like this? "

"Respect for the Earth."

"Oh, come on. Everyone on this platform's worth zillions."

"Well, perhaps it's a case of having to be seen at the right occasions."

"In case your share prices drop? I know you lot. You've got massive forests everywhere, roots everywhere, and there's always money in land. "

"All the same, we respect the Earth as family. So many species evolved from that planet. Mankind is only one. I'm another. My ancestors were transplanted from the planet down below, and I'm a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest. "

"Excuse me. "

He uses his sonic screwdriver to scan a monitor, trying to override the protocols and let them in.

"And what about your ancestry, Doctor? Perhaps you could tell a story or two. Perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there's nothing else left. I scanned you earlier. The metal machine had trouble identifying your species. It refused to admit your existence. And even when it named you, I wouldn't believe it. But it was right. I know where you're from. Forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable that you even exist. I just wanted to say how sorry I am. "

She puts her hand on his arm. He gives her a small smile.

"My home is lost, Jabe, but not destroyed. I have a feeling I will spend until the last of my days trying to find her again."

"What do you mean?"

He sighs.

"It's complicated."

"Complicated in the same way Rose is?"

The Doctor ignores her, stepping into the Engine Room. It runs the whole depth of the Platform. The Doctor and Jabe are by a catwalk that runs through a series of large fans.

"Is it me, or is it a bit nippy? Fair do's, though, that's a great bit of air conditioning. Sort of nice and old fashioned. Bet they call it retro. "

One of the metal spiders loses it's grip and lands in front of the Doctor. He jumps back a bit.

"What the hell's that? "

"Is it part of the retro? "

"I don't think so. Hold on. "

The Doctor aims his screwdriver at the spider, then Jabe lassoes it. He renders the thing useless and sticks it in his pocket.

"Hey, nice liana. "

"Thank you. We're not supposed to show them in public. "

"Don't worry, I won't tell anybody. Now then, who's been bringing their pets on board? "

"What does it do? "

"Sabotage. "

"Earth Death in ten minutes." The Doctor groans at the computer announcement.

"And the temperature's about to rocket. Come on. We need to alert the Steward." 

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose was leaving the Observation Deck. She looks around for the Doctor but somehow knows he's long gone. She meanders towards the smaller room that she and the Doctor had talked in earlier. She doesn't notice the shapes following her and locking her into the room. As far as she is concerned, she just wants to sit here and enjoy the death of her home in peace, with or without the Doctor.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Back on the main Observation Deck, Cassandra is regaling the guests with tales of Earth. At the last announcement, she gathers everyone.

"The planet's end. Come gather, come gather. Bid farewell to the cradle of civilization. Let us mourn her with a traditional ballad. "

The jukebox selects a record labeled Toxic by Britany Spears. The Face of Boe rolls his eyes. The music selection today is horrid.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor and Jabe make their way quickly to the Steward's Office. He can smell the odor of the burnt flesh behind the door. He shudders. He shoves through the crowd that have gathered at the door. As he gets closer, he can see the smoke sifting from underneath the door.

"Hold on. Get back."

The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver on another small panel.

"Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising. " The chanting of the computer is irritating.

"Is the Steward in there?! "

"I can smell him. Hold on, there's another sun filter programmed to descend. "

His eyes go wide for a moment before he runs off.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose has slipped into a semi-conscious state. She's not asleep but not exactly awake, either. She'll admit that she's exhausted, though and her adrenaline high has come to an end.

"Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending."

Rose wakes in time to see the deadly glare begin to fill the room. She runs up the short set of stairs and start's pounding on the door.

"Let me out! Let me out!"

The Doctor runs towards the Observation Room he and Rose had been in earlier. A life sign had shown in there. He hopes it wasn't her. Technically, he knew she had a future but Time was always in flux and there were very few fixed points any more. He arrives outside the room and starts frantically working on the door panel, hoping he's made it in time. He doesn't smell charred flesh, so he hopes. He barely notices that Jabe has left his side. Hopefully, she's gone to warn the others.

"Anyone in there? "

"Let me out! " He groans.

"Oh, well, it would be you."

"Open the door!"

"Hold on. Give me two ticks." He growls in frustration. That stupid computer is still chanting, Rose is trapped, and this is taking bloody forever.

Inside the room, the scorching rays reach the top of the door. The Doctor lets out a triumphant yell as he hears the computer announce that the filter is rising. And his hearts fall again as the computer announces the change in direction again.

"Just what we need. The computer's getting clever. "

"Stop mucking about!"

"I'm not mucking about. It's fighting back."

"Open the door! "

"I know! I'm trying!"

Rose runs down the steps away from the glare as it moves down the door.

"The lock's melted! "

"Sun filter descending. Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising. "

Rose runs back up to the door as the Doctor sighs with relief. He's finally managed to override their control on the filters.

"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there! Don't move! "

"Where are am I going to go, Ipswich? "

"Earth Death in five minutes. "

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Jabe had indeed made her way to the Observation Deck where everyone else was gathered. She manages to get everyone gathered around so she can speak to them all at once. The Face of Boe stays back a bit, already knowing how this will play out. How it should play out.

" The metal machine confirms. The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of Platform One. "

" How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturise me, moisturise me."

" Summon the Steward." Moxx cries, knowing he is the only authority on the station.

" I'm afraid the Steward is dead."

" Who killed him? "

" This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe. He invited us. Talk to the Face. Talk to the Face." Cassandra hisses the last bit. By now, after ensuring Rose's safety, The Doctor has arrived on the main deck. He already has a plan to find out who did this and now, some suspicions are brought to the forefront of his mind. As odd as the Face of Boe feels to him, he's pretty sure that he wasn't the one who organized this.

" Easy way of finding out. Someone bought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to master."

The Doctor fishes the spider from his pocket and puts it down. It scuttles off to Cassandra and scans her, then goes to the black gowned group. The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. Interesting, but not the real culprit. Gah, he sounded like a bad crime detective. Or a bad episode of Scooby Doo.

" The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. J'accuse! "

" That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it…"

He goes over to the Adherants. Their leader tries to hit him, but he catches his arm and yanks. The Adherants' arm falls off easily.

" A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are, an idea."

He pulls one of the wires dangling from the arm, and all the Adherants all collapse.

" Remote controlled Droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo. Go home."

The Doctor gives the spider a nudge. It skitters around for a moment before heading towards Cassandra again. This time it doesn't scan her. It almost looks dejected and guilty as it goes to her, like a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

" I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed. At arms!" She hisses the last part out. Her attendants raise their spray guns. The Doctor puts his hand on his chest, mocking Cassandra.

" What are you going to do, moisturise me?" Sarcasm drips from his words.

" With acid. Oh, you're too late, anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just as pretty face."

" Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid's that?"

" I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous."

" Five billion years and it still comes down to money."

" Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human, Doctor. Me. Not that freaky little kid of yours."

" Arrest her, the infidel" Moxx yells into the crowd. A few nods around the room from various guests. The Face of Boe rolls his eyes. There's only one way this will play out.

" Oh, shut it, pixie. I've still got my final option."

" Earth Death in three minutes. "

" And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn." Cassandra growls that last part.

" Then you'll burn with us." Jabe insists, trying to reason with her.

" Oh, I'm so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders, activate!" There is a series of explosions through the Platform. There's a bit of panic from the guests. Suddenly, this has all become too real to them.

" Forcefields gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me. "

"Safety systems failing".

"Bye, bye, darlings. Bye, bye, my darlings."

Cassandra and her attendants teleport out. The Doctor growls in frustration. Just another thing he'll have to fix. But not now. Now, he needs to concentrate on the heating, then Rose. Priotities.

"Heat levels rising."

"Reset the computer." Moxx is panicking by now. Another rich man who has never been in any sort of trouble. Typical.

" Only the Steward would know how. "

" No. We can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch. Jabe, come on. You lot, just chill."

" Heat rising."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

" Earth Death in two minutes. Earth Death in two minutes."

Jabe and the Doctor are running back down the maintenance corridor. Back to where he found the spider. He had seen a switch at the far end, past the fans, that he could only assume was the manual override. If not, well, it wouldn't matter much longer.

" Heat levels critical."

" Oh. And guess where the switch is."

The Doctor pulls a breaker lever and the fans slow a little, but it resets as soon as he lets go of it.

" External temperature five thousand degrees."

Jabe pulls the breaker and holds it down.

" You can't. The heat's going to vent through this place."

" I know." Jabe looks at him sadly. She hadn't planned on this excursion being her last.

" Jabe, you're made of wood."

" Then stop wasting time, Time Lord." She smiles at him and he smirks, just a bit.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

On the observation deck, the panic has hit almost catastrophic proportions. Only the Face of Boe is unaffected. But then, he knows how this will end. How it has to end.

" Heat levels hazardous."

The observation window begins to crack.

" We're going to die!"

"Heat levels hazardous."

The Doctor makes it past the first fan.

The Observation Room Rose is in fares no better. But now, Rose has hit the point of no return. Crisis critical and no end in sight, her emotions flare and she glows.

" Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction. "

Random pieces of deadly glare lance into the room. Rose, remains untouched

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

" Heat levels critical. Heat levels critical."

The Doctor looks back at Jabe, then times his run past the second fan. He misses the tell-tale glow around her. The Wolf is awake.

" Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising."

Jabe would have combusted at this point. She almost wishes she would. This glow around her makes her uneasy but she no longer feels the heat, the pain. She holds fast to the lever, willing the Doctor to hurry up. Her strength is waning and the blades speed up but are still not at their full power.

" Planet explodes in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five"

The Doctor shuts his eyes and time stops. He wills himself forward, listening to the fan blades and walks past the last fan.

" Four."

He opens his eyes, and realizes he is safe and dashes for the reset breaker.

" Raise shields!"

" One."

A forcefield envelopes Platform One as the Earth starts to boil, then explodes.

" Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair."

The Doctor turns towards Jabe and gasps, then smiles. Rose must be okay. He quickly runs through the rest of the fan blades up to her. The gold fades and she collapses, exhaustion overtaking her. He lifts her easily and heads back to the main Observation Deck.

Rose collapses as well, unharmed. The reset has unlocked her door and every other systems is now functional. The temperature inside the Platform quickly lowers, bringing relief.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Moxx of Balhoon is a pile of dust. However, everyone else in the room has survived. The Face of Boe smiles to himself. Rose has already begun to change the Doctor's past. The Doctor enters and goes over to the two other trees. He hands over Jabe.

"I'm sorry. She's exhausted and should be fine. Possibly dehydrated. Make sure she gets some water. Now, I have to go find Rose."

He makes his way quickly to room he knows Rose to be in. He finds her, collapsed in a corner, the gold still drifting off her. A strangled cry escapes his lips before he can stop it. He falls to his knees next to her and begins an examination. She's breathing, and her pulse seems strong and sure. He lets out the breath he had been holding. He leans over her frame and places his forehead against hers. He knew she was Jeopardy Friendly. But he was relieved that they had survived this adventure. It wasn't over yet, he knew, because Cassandra still had to pay, but his Rose was safe. She shifts beneath him and he quickly moves. She opens her eyes and looks up at him, concern on her face.

" You all right?"

"I'm always alright."

"Liar. But crisis averted, yeah?"

"Yeah, it is. Care to join me on the main deck while we sort this out?"

"Love to." He helps her to her feet where she sways a bit. He grabs her shoulders, steadying her. After a moment she gives him a nod and their hands instinctively find one another. They walk, hand in hand back to the Observation Deck. Full of confidence, he enters, her glaring around the room, looking for Cassandra. Somehow, she knows that flap of skin is at the center of this all.

" I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them. Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby."

He smashes open the alleged ostrich egg to reveal a small device.

" Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed." He uses his sonic screwdriver. The Cassandra begins teleporting back in.

" Oh, you should have seen their little alien faces."

She is back on the Observation Deck before she finishes the statement. She incriminates herself more without realizing it.

" Oh. "

" The last human." The Doctor spits the words out.

" So, you passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join, er, the Human Club." She seems uncertain and worried, exactly how he wants her.

"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them."

" It depends on your definition of people, and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile and cry and flutter."

" And creak?" He has a smug look on his face.

" And what?"

" Creak. You're creaking."

" What? Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturise me, moisturise me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!"

" You raised the temperature. And left yourself vulnerable. Dependant on us lesser bipedals for your existence."

" Have pity! Moisturise me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I'm sorry. I'll do anything." She's reduced to begging. He almost gives in. But the image of Rose, burnt to a crisp, stops him. He's already almost lost her, several times over

" Help her." Rose whispers to him. Someone, though, she knows what his answer will be.

" Everything has its time and everything dies."

" I'm too young!"

She rips, and explodes. Rose flinches. The Doctor glares ahead, not willin to look at his Rose. Not wanting to see the disappointment on her face.

The guests quickly depart. Finally, only Rose, the Doctor, and the Face of Boe remain.

'_I would have thought that you would be one of the first to leave.'_

'_No, old friend. Besides, this is Rosie's first trip out.'_

'_How do you know her?'_

He can hear the Face of Boe laughing at him through telepathy.

'_You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Besides, you'll find out eventually. This is not the first time you've met me. And it won't be the last.'_

'_You're not going to tell me anything, are you?'_

'_Doctor, you know better than anyone that the wrong word, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, could be disastrous. Just know that I am a friend. A trusted friend. But now, regretfully, I must go. I believe she has questions for you and her mind will nt let her keep quiet for long.'_

The both watch as he floats away, heading towards his own shuttle.

" Shuttles four and six departing. This unit now closing down for maintenance."

Only Rose and the Doctor are left, looking at the asteroids that were once the Earth as they float past the red giant Sun.

" The end of the Earth. It's gone. We were too busy saving ourselves. No one saw it go. All those years, all that history, and no one was even looking. It's just…." She stops, voice shaking and a bit heartbroken. She had wanted to see it. He grabs her hand gently in his own.

" Come with me." He urges, softly, voice barely above a whisper. He leads her back to the TARDIS, both more than ready to leave this place.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They arrive in London, her own time. Probably only hours after she had left.A normal day. A baby cries, a man laughs. The Doctor and Rose stand in the middle of teeming people going about their daily lives.

" You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky. My planet's gone. It's lost. Not dead, but I have no idea how to get it back."

" What happened?"

" There was a war and we lost. So I did the only thing I could. I devised a way to hide it, destroying the enemy in the process. But it may be lost forever."

" A war with who? What about your people?"

" I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. And I don't know how to get them back."

" There's me."

" You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" In his mind, though, he was silently praying she wouldn't leave. It scared him how much he needed her. Both versions, really. She made everything better.

" I don't know. I want." She sniffs the air for a moment before her eyes go wide. "Oh, can you smell chips?"  
" Yeah. Yeah." He grins widely at her.

" I want chips."

" Me too."

" Right then, before you get me back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay."

" No money."  
" What sort of date are you? Come on then, tightwad, chips are on me. We've only got five billion years till the shops close." She grips his hand tightly and he follows, heart swelling at her words. She considered this a date?

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_So…thoughts? Feedback? Constructive criticism? _


	5. Chips

_I do not own Doctor Who._

_********__**Warning**__: This chapter has a short scene that hints to rape. I upped the rating because of it._

**Chips**

The Doctor's heart was light. Lighter than it had been for over 200 years, despite the things they had just witnessed and Rose almost dying. She had bounced back very quickly, to which he was amazed. He knew her older self was as resilient, but she almost acted like the entire ordeal hadn't fazed her. She was taking it in stride and needless to say, he was a little impressed. If this is how she reacted after every adventure, he could look forward to many years of adventure for them both.

After bringing her back to modern-day London, they had followed their noses to the nearest chippy. And that's where they were still sitting. The Doctor was surprised at how hungry he actually was. They both ordered fish and chips and sat at a booth.

After unceremoniously stuffing some of the fish and chips in her mouth, Rose reaches across the table, grasping for the Doctor's hand. He looks at her hand for just a moment before intertwining their fingers, squeezing lightly.

"So, is it always that dangerous, traveling with you?"

"Not always."

"But most of the time, yeah?"

"More than I'd like, at times. Sometimes I actually want to go to the peaceful planets that I promise instead of finding danger. But yeah, if I'm around, something usually comes up."

"So, what you're saying is you're a trouble magnet?" She grins at him, tongue and all and he can't help but smile back.

"That's rich, coming from you, Miss Jeopardy Friendly." She ducks her head and her cheeks flush. She tries to pull her hand away but he holds fast to it. He can tell she's embarrassed.

"Why you blushing?" He's actually genuinely curious.

"Dunno. Maybe because I ran off with a mad alien with a blue box that travels through time and space."

"So?" He cuts her off and she shoots him a small glare.

"Let me finish, yeah?" It's his turn to duck his head in mild embarrassment. He gives her a short, quick nod. She takes a deep breath to compose herself.

"I ran away with a strange man, without a thought to my family. Told my boyfriend, best friend, not to wait on me. Why would I do that?"

"So I'm a man now?" He tries to change the subject, although in hind-sight, this probable wasn't the best way to redirect her.

"What?"

He grins at her, mischief alight in his eyes. "You said alien the first time, then you said man. Do you see me as a man, Rose Tyler?" Now, he's afraid of her answer. Both hearts are thumping quicker in his chest and are loud in his own ears. He's surprised she doesn't hear them.

She smiles. "Stop trying to change the subject, Doctor." She sighs deeply. Then, on a whim, she lets go of his hand and gets up from the table. He looks at her, confused until she motions for him to scoot over. She sits beside him, gasps his hand and leans her head against his shoulder.

She scrunches her eyebrows together, thinking, trying to understand her conflicting feelings towards this man. Yes, _man_. He's enigmatic, that much is for sure. She's sure he suffers from PTSD, which makes him dangerous. No, _could_ make him dangerous. He fought in a war and even if he doesn't want to admit it, she knows it had to have affected him. She chews on her bottom lip. If she were willing to admit it to herself, she's a bit attracted to him. And not just in the friendly way, either. But she'll never admit that out loud.

Her eyes snap back up and she turns to look at him, small traces of gold in them. Not the bright glowing he was used to when the Wolf takes over. This was subtle, almost like it wasn't there. This is Rose and the Wolf, working as one mind. She cocks her head to the side, looking at him. Looking _through_ him.

"Safe. I feel safe with you. And, loved?" Her brow wrinkles at this. "I know you." Her eyes snap back to his and her other hand touches his cheek. "My Doctor."

He places his hand on top of hers and just stares at her. She still has the gold flecks in her gorgeous, whiskey eyes. And a part of him wants nothing more than to lean forward and claim her lips. Instead, he turns his head into her hand and gives her palm a kiss before letting go of her hand and leaning back. She closes her eyes for a moment and when she opens them, they are the soft brown of her younger self. She gives him a soft smile. He's startled. He thinks for sure she'll run away, but she merely begins eating again. He's relieved and digs into his meal once more.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They had returned to the TARDIS and he had led her to her new room. The TARDIS had created the room while they were out eating. The walls were a soft yellow and the bedding a gentle pink. The bed itself is large, big enough to fit five people easily and piled with pillows. She had an en suite attached with a tub big enough for her to sit in comfortably, and she could probably fit another couple of occupants. She tried not to think too long or hard on that. She almost immediately took advantage of it, soaking her worries and troubles away.

She found clothes on her bed. She wondered briefly if the Doctor had put them there but the change in the humming of the TARDIS told her that she had picked it out. It was a deep blue sleep set, shorts and a spaghetti strapped top. She changed and lay down, almost immediately dropping to sleep.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

She whimpers in her sleep, nightmares plaguing her. She thrashes about, tangling herself in her sheets.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_She's in a dark room. Muffled noises come from the next room. She can hear music and laughter but she is afraid. The door opens and in walks a man. Young twenties, rugged, jeans that ride a bit low and a t-shirt. He walks straight up to her and back hands her. She shrieks and skitters back, away from him, raising her hands to protect her face. He wrenches her arms from her face and pins her against the wall. She spits in his face and her knees her in the gut, taking her breath away. She falls to the floor, momentarily helpless. He wrenches himself free of his pants and she screams._

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor is in the Library, trying to occupy his mind. His thoughts keep drifting to her. He's finding himself falling for this young Rose and her enthusiasm for life as much as the much older, wiser, and more mysterious Rose. It conflicts his hearts and he is unsure of what to do.

He notices the TARDIS hum changing, almost in warning, but warning of what he's not sure. He puts his book down and glances up at the ceiling. He hears a scream and scrambles up, running towards her room.

He doesn't knock, doesn't hesitate, he just bursts through her door.

"ROSE!" He yells at her, trying to get her to wake. She screams again. He grabs her by the shoulders and shakes her gently. She starts thrashing in the bed and not responding.

"Forgive me." He whispers into her hair as he does the only thing he can think of.

He enters her mind gently and steps into the scene that keeps replaying in her mind. She's being...no, he won't think of the word. A figure, draped in black. From her past, perhaps? He'd never known Rose to have nightmares before. But then, she hadn't slept on her own then, either. Even just meeting her, he had offered his bed as her sanctuary. Not in a sexual way, but they both needed someone to chase away the nightmares. But that was the Wolf version of her.

He doesn't like what he's seen in her head. He hoped it wasn't real, but if it weren't, why would she be dreaming it? He does his best to soothe her mind, replacing it with images from places he's been. The peaceful, beautiful places. She starts calming down. He slips from her mind and is just as shaken as she seems to be. She was still whimpering and shaking but the screaming has stopped. He shucks his jacket and shoes and slips into bed with her, holding her tightly. He talks quietly into her hair and rubs her back, trying to calm her. It takes a while (forty-two minutes, seventeen seconds) but she finally calms completely and relaxes into him. He relaxes with her and finds he doesn't want to move. He doesn't want to leave her to her nightmares, nor go pursue his own. He places a kiss on her temple before making himself comfortable. He's not sure if sleep will claim him tonight, but moments later he drifts off as well.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose wakes slowly, painfully. Her throat is tight from the screaming and her muscles scream at her not to move. She has a headache and her tongue is thick from her mouth being open for most of the night. She shifts, trying to get more comfortable and she feels an arm tighten around her waist. Her eyes snap open and she looks at the arm that has her effectively trapped in her bed. Her breath quickens, the dream taking shape in her mind again. She catches sight of a burgundy jumper and relaxes. She knows that arm and the shirt that covers it. It's safe. She is safe.

She sinks back into the bed and into the Doctor. His arm loosens. She has no idea if he is awake or not but if he is, he would probably have said something by now. She intertwines their fingers and strokes the back of his hand. A low rumble escapes his lips, almost like a purr. She sighs and tries to go back to sleep.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He wakes an hour after she does. He is spooned into her back, arm across her waist, other arm tucked underneath her head. He lifts his arm, meaning to leave her to her slumber but her hand darts out and pulls him back down.

"Rose?" He whispers, trying to make sense of the situation. He hadn't meant for her to find him in her bed, just to chase her nightmares off.

"Why did you sleep in here last night?" There's no accusation in her voice, he notices, just curiosity.

"You were screaming and convulsing, almost like you were possessed. Neither yelling nor shaking you worked. I even…." He trails off, not wanting to confess what he did. He should know better than to enter a mind without consent, even if he and Rose had in the past.

Rose, sensing his discomfort, turns to face him. She sees the guilty look on his face and arches a brow.

"Did ya take advantage of me while I was sleepin'?" Again, her voice isn't accusing.

"Not….not physically. But I couldn't get you to calm down. You were about to hurt yourself. So I…I entered your mind just long enough to see what you were dreamin' and turn your thought in another direction. I wanted to stop your nightmare. Then I curled up here so I could help you easier if they came back." He looks away from her, guiltily.

She blinks her eyes, processing his confession. In all honesty, she's not concerned that he entered her mind. Not under the circumstances at least. She definitely doesn't mind that he stayed with her. He didn't get her express permission to enter her mind, but she's glad he did. She didn't need to see that flashback. Her brow furrows as she thinks. The Doctor, certain this means she's going to yell and tear into him, starts to get off the bed. Her hand darts out before she can think and grabs his jumper. His eyes flick to her hand, then back up to her eyes. She has an almost panicked look on her face.

"Don't go," she whispers.

He slides back onto the bed, keeping his distance, waiting on her answer.

"I'm not upset that you did it. I woke up earlier and could feel how raw my throat was. I could feel how tense and sore my muscles were. I have no doubt that you tried to wake me. But that particular...dream, isn't something I can easily wake from. So thank you, for staying with me and chasing my nightmares away." She smiles gently at him. He gives her a small smile in return. He leans forward and kisses her forehead and rests his own against the kiss.

"If it makes you feel any better, you chased mine away as well."

She nods slightly. She turns her back to him again and settles against him.

"I'm not quite ready to get up yet. I think a good part of my night wash spent facing my inner demons. Ya think you could stay here with me a bit longer?" Her voice is small, scared, almost child-like in it's want for comfort. He curls himself around her and kisses her hair. He hopes she doesn't mind the display. He just can't help it. It's nothing sexual, just for comfort. She sighs and relaxes, and soon, they are both asleep again.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When they wake again, they are both in much better moods. He suggests a trip. The past this time.

"I might even let you learn how to fly her."

She grins at him, eyes sparkling and he can't help but grin back.


	6. The Unquiet Dead

_I do not own Doctor Who. Some scenes have been deleted. Any information that is needed from them will be explained elsewhere._

**T****he Unquiet Dead**

The TARDIS is bouncing around in the Vortex, taking them to their next destination. Rose and the Doctor both are at the Console, pressing buttons and flicking switches.

"Hold that one down!"

"I'm holding this one down."

"Well, hold them both down."

"It's not going to work." Rose tries to stretch across half the console. She finally settles on pressing one button with her foot while reaching for the other with her hand. Even then, it's a bit of a stretch.

"Oi! I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?"

"What happened in 1860?"

"I don't know, let's find out. Hold on, here we go!"

They materialize with the usually shaking, sending them both falling to the floor. They're laughing as the ship settles.

"Blimey!"

"You're telling me. Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I think so. Nothing broken. Did we make it? Where are we?" He gets up and looks at the monitor. Displayed on one side is his targeted destination. He doesn't glance at the right side of the screen to see where they actually landed.

"I did it. Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860."

"That's so weird. It's Christmas."

"All yours." He smiles warmly at her, glad she is sharing in the adventure with him.

"But, it's like, think about it, though. Christmas. 1860. Happens once, just once and it's gone, it's finished, it'll never happen again. Except for you. You can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago. No wonder you never stay still." He shrugs.

"Not a bad life."

"Better with two. Come on, then." She grins up at him and his hearts flutter a bit. She runs towards the doors.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"1860."

"Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella. There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!"

"I'm only changin' if you are. And not just your jumper."

"But I like what I'm wearin'!"

"Well so do I! But you see me, walking this way, towards the wardrobe? Yeah. Get up mister."

He sighs and follows her towards the wardrobe. What he wore in his last body should still be acceptable, right? He cringes at being seen in that getup but Rose hasn't given him much of a choice. Well, no, that's a bit of a lie. He could always say no. He shakes his head to himself. If he were honest with him, which he hardly ever was, he'd admit that he'd do anything to please her.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor is standing in the Console Room waiting on Rose. It had taken him about fifteen minutes to get dressed. He has been waiting on her an additional thirty minutes. Women sure take a while to get ready, no matter the time period. He's still standing there, leaning against the Console when she finally enters. He almost has to pick his jaw off the floor. He can't tear his eyes from her. She looks _stunning_. She's wearing a dress with a black corset and a blood red skirt. The sleeves of the top are off the shoulder, exposing her shoulders and neckline. A black shawl covers her shoulders and her black shoes have small heels. The shoes are low enough to still be acceptable for running. He mentally grins. She thinks ahead, his Rose. Maybe not so much has changed.

He's so caught in taking in every detail of her outfit that he misses her rake her eyes appreciatively over his own body. He'd opted out of his old outfit in favor of a simple three piece, period appropriate suit. He kept his boots. They were quite comfortable and most people didn't look at feet so they should go unnoticed. He wore simple black slacks with a black belt. His shirt and coat were both black and his vest a dark red, almost matching her skirt. He'd foregone the neckwear. He mentally thanks the TARDIS for picking his outfit.

"Blimey!" He gasps at her, finally able to speak again. She's taken his breath away.

"Don't laugh."

"You look beautiful." She grins shyly at him but her insides are aflutter. She had hoped he would notice. _And god he looked good._ He arches an eyebrow at her and smirks. _Oh, she said that out loud. _She blushes and ducks her head.

"Come on." He goes to take her hand but she darts from him, running to the door and laughing.

"You stay there. You've done this before. This is mine." Rose opens the door and steps gingerly out into the fallen snow. She twirls in the snow, laughing. She rarely gets to see a good snow. It's all dingy in town and it melts quickly. But this was wonderful.

"Ready for this? Here we go." He's not sure if he'd talking to himself or her as he grabs her hand, effectively stopping her twirling. She leans against him as they walk down the street. A choir is standing on a street corner singing Christmas carols. Several horse-drawn buggies are on the road, including what appeared to be a hearse. The Doctor buys a newspaper. Looking at the date and the headline, he groans.

I got the flight a bit wrong." He tells her sheepishly, whining a bit. Try to impress her, can't seem to fly. In all honesty, he's sure that meddlesome machine has something to do with his flight being off.

"I don't care."

"It's not 1860, it's 1869."

"I don't care." She says this more firmly than the first time.

"And it's not Naples."

"Still don't care."

"It's Cardiff." That stops Rose in her tracks. She looks at him and rolls her eyes.

"Right. Because everything happens in Cardiff." He furrows his eyebrows together, wondering where that thought had come from.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Mister Dickens is giving his reading from 'A Christmas Carol'. The theatre is packed. In the middle of the theatre sits an old woman. On any other night, she would just be another body enjoying the show. Tonight, however, a spectre is loose among them, as they will soon find.

"Now, it is a fact that there was nothing particular at all about the knocker on the door of this house, but let any man explain to me if he can, how it happened that Scrooge, having his key in the lock of the door, saw in the knocker, without it's undergoing any intermediate process of change, not a knocker, but Marley's face. Marley's face! It looked at Scrooge as Marley used to look. It looked like…."

The old woman begins to glow blue. Dickens sees her clearly from the stage.

"Oh, my lord. It looked like that!" His voice is shaking. Dickens points, and the audience turns to see.

"What phantasmagoria is this?"

The corpse rises and groans. The audience screams. The Doctor and Rose hear the screams. The Doctor's eyes brighten and he grins manically at Rose.

"That's more like it!" He drags her towards the theatre.

A blue gas is coming from the corpse and flying around the auditorium. The audience, almost as if it were one being, or a flock, screams and flees.

"Stay in your seats, I beg you. It is a lantern show. It's trickery."

"Excuse me." Mr. Sneed, the mortician, says, trying to go against the flow of the crowd and get to the woman's body.

"There she is, sir!" The girl, Gwenyth, his assistant, points to the old woman. The only person, besides Dickens, who isn't fleeing the theatre.

"I can see that. The whole blooming world can see that!"

The policeman arrives outside the theatre, blowing his whistle and trying to orchestrate a bit of control in the midst of the chaos. The Doctor and Rose enter the theatre, both going towards Dickens, who is still on stage, trying in vain to salvage his performance.

"Fantastic." The Doctor was itching for an adventure, especially since he'd landed in the wrong time zone. The woman collapses and the blue that had surrounded her disappears.

"Did you see where it came from?" The Doctor asks Dickens, hoping from his vantage he would have seen something.

"Ah, the wag reveals himself, does he? I trust you're satisfied, sir!"

Sneed and Gwyneth pick up the corpse. Together, with difficulty, they drag her outside and into the hearse. Rose, observing the entire scene, notices them.

"Oi! Leave her alone! Doctor, I'll get them."

"Be careful!" He lets her go off on her own, knowing that if he tries to stop her, she'll end up going anyway. Or, she'll end up somewhere worse. Best to just let her go. He turns back to Dickens. "Did it say anything? Can it speak? I'm the Doctor, by the way."

Rose was chasing the two dragging the body back to their hearse.

"What're you doing?!"

"Oh, it's a tragedy, miss. Don't worry yourself. Me and the master will deal with it. The fact is, this poor lady's been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary." Gwenyth was hoping that this woman would take the lie and let them get back to their work. She catches Rose's determination through her gift and she knows Rose isn't about to let them get away. She touches the woman and she is ice cold. Obviously she had been dead for several hours but that doesn't click in Rose's brain. She, understandably, jumps to the worst possible conclusion.

"She's cold. She's dead! Oh, my God, what'd you do to her?"

Sneed sneaks up behind Rose and puts a pad of cloth over her mouth. She struggles briefly then passes out.

"What did you do that for? "

"She's seen too much. Get her in the hearse. Legs."

Rose is carted away in the hearse, unknown by the Doctor. He is still inside, trying to decipher what the blue gas actually is. He watches it float and fly into one of the gas lanterns aligning the wall.

"Gas! It's made of gas." He turns, hoping to tell Rose of his discovery, only to remember she went running after someone. He rushes out of the theatre, to find her missing. Of course she's missing.

"Rose!" Dickens chasing after him, to give him a piece of his mind. This man has, after all ruined his Christmas Eve performance and scared all the patrons away.

"You're not escaping me, sir. What do you know about that hobgoblin, hmm? Projection on glass, I suppose. Who put you up to it?" The hearse the Doctor had seen earlier was down the road a bit. She has to have gone with them, but why?

"Yeah, mate. Not now, thanks. Oi, you! Follow that hearse!" The Doctor gets into a nearby carriage.

"I can't do that, sir." The Doctor looks confusedly at the driver of the carriage.

"Why not?"

"I'll tell you why not. I'll give you a very good reason why not. Because this is my coach."

"Well, get in, then. Move!" He's not going to let that be a reason why he loses Rose. He could find her, but the coach would make it that much quicker and easier. Once Dickens is inside the coach, the driver cracks the whip and the carriage moves down the street.

"Come on, you're losing them." The Doctor yells up to the carriage driver, urging him faster.

"Everything in order, Mister Dickens?"

"No! It is not!"

"What did he say?" Dickens turns to face the Doctor, who is frantically looking out the front of the carriage, keeping an eye on the hearse.

"Let me say this first. I'm not without a sense of humour."

"Dickens? " It's finally registered in the Doctor's mind who he might be addressing. Oh, this is FANTASTIC!

"Yes."

"Charles Dickens?" _Flatter him a bit. Manipulation at it's best. Not that he does that sort of thing any more, right?_

"Yes."

"The Charles Dickens?" He makes it a point to stress the 'the' before his name. Yeah, flattery will work.

"Should I remove the gentleman, sir?"

"Charles Dickens? You're brilliant, you are. Completely one hundred percent brilliant. I've read them all. Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and what's the other one, the one with the ghost? " The Doctor waves his hand, trying to remember the story. It's not one of the more popular ones, but it's very well done.

"A Christmas Carol? " Really, he'd just been reading that before this man rudely interrupted!

"No, no, no, the one with the trains. The Signal Man, that's it. Terrifying! The best short story ever written. You're a genius."

"You want me to get rid of him, sir?"

"Er, no, I think he can stay." He turns at regards this man who seems to know his works, including his less known.

"Honestly, Charles. Can I call you Charles? I'm such a big fan."

"A what? A big what?"

"Fan. Number one fan, that's me."

"How exactly are you a fan? In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?" The Doctor could slap himself. Instead, he offers up an explanation of the definition.

"No, it means fanatic, devoted to. Mind you, I've got to say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what's that about? Was that just padding or what? I mean, it's rubbish, that bit."

"I thought you said you were my fan."

"Ah, well, if you can't take criticism. Go on, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up. No, sorry, forget about that. Come on, faster!" The Doctor, brilliant as he is, had let himself get sidetracked. Back to the goal, back to Rose, back to the mystery.

"Who exactly is in that hearse?"

"My friend. She's only nineteen. It's my fault. She's in my care, and now she's in danger."

"Why are we wasting my time talking about dry old books? This is much more important. Driver, be swift! The chase is on!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Attaboy, Charlie."

"Nobody calls me Charlie."

"The ladies do. "

"How do you know that? "

"I told you, I'm your number one…" Dickens interrupts him before he can finish the statement.

"Number one fan." The Doctor chuckles at Dickens' obvious embarrassment. They arrive at the morgue shortly after the hearse. The Doctor dons his cheerful mask as they knock on the door, hoping his Rose is okay.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The hearse had arrived at the funeral home and the woman and Rose had been unloaded inside. They had placed Rose in the viewing room with the corpses. She was lying flat on a table while they were tucked in to their respective coffins. She was still unconscious.

"The poor girl's still alive, sir! What're we going to do with her?"

"I don't know! I didn't plan any of this, did I. It isn't my fault if the dead won't stay dead."

"Then whose fault is it, sir? Why is this happening to us?"

The gas lamp flares and there are whispered voices.

"I did the Bishop a favour, once. Made his nephew look like a cherub even though he'd been a fortnight in the weir. Perhaps he'll do us an exorcism on the cheap."

They hear a knock at the door.

"Say I'm not in. Tell them we're closed. Just, just get rid of them."

Sneed disappears down the corridor. Rose wakes up as blue gas from the lamp animates young Mister Redpath, who had been placed in a coffin. Gwyneth opens the front door to Charles Dickens and the Doctor.

"I'm sorry, sir. We're closed. "

"Nonsense. Since when did an Undertaker keep office hours? The dead don't die on schedule. I demand to see your master." The Doctor is looking around, trying to get a guess as to where Rose could be. Dickens can take the witty banter for now.

"He's not in, sir. "

"Don't lie to me, child. Summon him at once."

"I'm awfully sorry, Mister Dickens, but the master's indisposed." He sees it, almost out of the corner of his eye.. A gas lamp flares. He turns to Gwenyth.

"Having trouble with your gas? " There's definitely a connection between the spectre at the theatre and this morgue.

"What the Shakespeare is going on?" Dickens glances at the Doctor, then the lamp, then the girl. His face is marred with confusion as well as curiosity, the emotions battling for dominance.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose sees the corpse rise from one of the coffins. She backs away. Something tells her these creatures aren't the friendly sort. A nagging in the back of her mind. Still, she ought to give them a chance, right?

"Are you all right? You're kidding me, yeah? You're just kidding. You are kidding me, aren't you?" She's not panicking yet, but the feeling in the back of her head worsens. It's not painful, but it's irritating. They shuffle closer to her and she backs towards the door.

"Okay, not kidding. "

She takes a deep breath, turns, and runs for the door.

In the entry-way, the Doctor has pushed past Gwenyth to the nearest flaring gas lamp.

"You're not allowed inside, sir. "

"There's something inside the walls." He runs his hands along the wall, thinking to himself, face scrunched in concentration.

"The gas pipes. Something's living inside the gas. But what?" He paces, quickly checking through the lists of gaseous entities that he is aware of. Could be something he's unaware but the likelihood is low. He's the most travelled Time Lord in existence and run into most species in one time or another. Part of what keeps him moving.

"Let me out! Open the door!" Rose is banging the door and screaming, hoping someone will hear and let her out. The corpses are getting closer and she doesn't want them to touch her. Again, that nagging in the back of her mind that tells her it's a bad idea. The Doctor, Dickens, and Gwenyth all hear her.

"That's her. " He races down the corridor, chasing the sound of her screams. Thankfully, he notices, they aren't stressed like she's in pain, just trapped. Her screams would be more shrill were she in pain. He shakes the memory away. _Not the time to get lost in memories!_

"Please, please, let me out!" Now he can hear the slight panic in her voice, but still not pain. He relaxes and jobs down the corridor, running into Sneed in the process.

"How dare you, sir. This is my house!"

"Shut up." He growls at the man. His Rose was locked away because of him and if anything has happened…there's no God or Devil alive that can help him.

"I told you." He points a finger accusingly at Gwenyth who cowers a bit. The Doctor is moving with a single-minded goal: Get to Rose!

"Let me out! Somebody open the door! Open the door!" Redpath grabs Rose. She screams. Adrenalin pumps through the Doctor and he kicks the door in.

"I think this is my dance." The Doctor pulls Rose away from Redpath and clutches her close. His normal manic, cheerful banter hiding his fear. Hopefully, no one sees through the ruse.

"It's a prank. It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence." Dickens is in denial. Typical. Show someone something spectacular and watch them try to rationalize it.

"No, we're not. You know we're not. The dead are walking. Hi." He waves at the corpses with the hand that isn't holding Rose. Rose looks between everyone, settling on the Doctor.

"Hi. Who's your friend? " She nods her head towards Dickens

"Charles Dickens." She grins at Dickens who can't help but smile back. Her smile is infectious.

"Charles Dickens. Great collection of works. Enjoyed most of your works, especially 'A Christmas Carol'." Dickens and the Doctor both beam at Rose. The Doctor, however, shakes himself quickly and directs his attention to the corpses. They have stopped their forward pace, and stare at the group with their unseeing eyes.

"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want? "

"Failing. Open the rift. We're dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us. Argh!" Redpath, the male, replies with the chorus of several voices. The Doctor shivers. He has no idea what these things are, but he does know of one entity that sounds similar and he's currently holding her. His arm tightens around her waist minutely. They watch as the gas leaves Redpath and his mother and returns to the gas lamp. The corpses collapse.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

After sorting the bodies, the entire party retires to the living area. Gwenyth is pouring tea for everyone. Rose is standing near a wall, glaring at Sneed. The Doctor can feel the irritation rolling off of her in waves.

"First of all you drug me, then you kidnap me, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man. "

"I won't be spoken to like this!" The Doctor could barely contain his glee. Rose was just getting started on her reprimand. He stiffened at her mention of Sneed's hands wandering, though. He quickly covers it. Rose keeps going with her rant, not caring

"Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies! And if that ain't enough, you swan off and leave me to die! So come on, talk!" She crosses her arms across her chest.

"It's not my fault. It's this house. It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back, and then the stiffs, the, er, dear departed started getting restless."

"Tommyrot." Dickens is off to the side. He's battling his innate curiosity and complete disbelief of the events he has witnessed. Disbelief is easier.

"You witnessed it. Can't keep the beggars down, sir. They walk. And it's the queerest thing, but they hang on to scraps. "

Gwyneth places the Doctor's cup on the mantelpiece beside him.

"Two sugars, sir, just how you like it." He glances at the girl. Low level telepath? She was something because no one had told her their tea preference.

"One old fellow who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service. Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir, just as she planned."

"Morbid fancy."

"Oh, Charles, you were there. "

"I saw nothing but an illusion. " He has finally swayed completely to disbelief. None of this could be real but here they were, discussing it like it was an everyday thing.

"If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just shut up. What about the gas? "

"That's new, sir. Never seen anything like that."

"Means it's getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through."

"What's the rift?" He grins at her. Rose always knows the right questions.

"A weak point in time and space. A connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time. "

"That's how I got the house so cheap. Stories going back generations. " He's finally heard enough. Dickens, wordsmith, exits the room, slamming the door behind him. Everyone flinches, the Doctor notices, except Rose. There's a tiny tinge of gold in her eyes and she wears a small smile. She glances his way and nods her head towards the door. He raises an eyebrow and get up, heading towards the door.

"Echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air, and this feeling like a shadow passing over your soul. Mind you, truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine. "

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Dickens stops by a gas lamp and tries to listen to the whispers. He thinks he might hear something but it could easily be the gas running through the walls.

"Impossible. " He whispers to himself before heading to the chapel to examine the bodies.

He takes the lid off Redpath's coffin, and waves his hand in front of the dead man's face. The Doctor has caught up to him and is watching him, calculating. Dickens searches the body up and down, trying to find the strings or mechanisms controlling the bodies.

"Checking for strings?"

"Wires, perhaps. There must be some mechanism behind this fraud."

"Oh, come on, Charles. All right. I shouldn't have told you to shut up. I'm sorry. But you've got one of the best minds in the world. You saw those gas creatures."

"I cannot accept that." He shakes his head, denial still heavy on his features.

"And what does the human body do when it decomposes? It breaks down and produces gas. Perfect home for these gas things. They can slip inside and use it as a vehicle, just like your driver and his coach."

"Stop it. Can it be that I have the world entirely wrong?" He looks up to the ceiling in wonder, then at the Doctor.

"Not wrong. There's just more to learn." He shrugs and glances at Dickens. It's not his normal 'dribble on your shirt' look but it gets his point across.

"I've always railed against the fantasists. Oh, I loved an illusion as much as the next man, revelled in them, but that's exactly what they were, illusions. The real world is something else. I dedicated myself to that. Injustices, the great social causes. I hoped that I was a force for good. Now you tell me that the real world is a realm of spectres and jack-o'-lanterns. In which case, have I wasted my brief span here, Doctor? Has it all been for nothing?" The Doctor claps Dickens on the shoulder.

"Not for nothing. Never for nothing."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

After the Doctor vacates the room, Rose follows Gwenyth into the pantry. Gwyneth lights the gas lamp. Rose starts the washing up.

"Please, miss, you shouldn't be helping. It's not right. "

"Don't be daft. Sneed works you to death. How much do you get paid?"

"Eight pound a year, miss." Rose's eyes widen.

"How much?" She can't help the contempt in her voice. Gwenyth's answer floors her, though.

"I know. I would've been happy with six."

"So, did you go to school or what?"

"Of course I did. What do you think I am, an urchin? I went every Sunday, nice and proper."

"What, once a week? "

"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second."

"Me too." They giggle together at their admissions. A century really doesn't change people that much. Clothes and dialects but the way people act stays pretty constant.

"Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own." Gwenyth whispers conspiratorially to Rose. She snorts.

"I did plenty of that. I used to go down the shops with my mate Shareen. We used to go and look at boys."

"Well, I don't know much about that, miss."

"Come on, times haven't changed that much. I bet you've done the same. "

"I don't think so, miss." Gwenyth was obviously embarrassed and blushing profusely. Rose noticed but she wanted the timid girl to let go. She was in good company after all.

"Gwyneth, you can tell me. I bet you've got your eye on someone."

"I suppose. There is one lad. The butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him."

"I like a nice smile. Good smile, nice bum."

"Well, I have never heard the like."

"Ask him out. Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start."

"I swear it is the strangest thing, miss. You've got all the clothes and the breeding, but you talk like some sort of wild thing."

"Maybe I am. Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mister Sneed." Rose smiled to herself.

"Oh, now that's not fair. He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She really was. She knew what it was to lose people. Quite a few in her lifetime. But her dad still hit her the worst sometimes.

"Thank you, miss. But I'll be with them again, one day, sitting with them in paradise. I shall be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your dad's up there waiting for you too, miss."

"Maybe." Rose furrows her head in confusion. She hadn't said anything about her dad, just thought about him. "I never mentioned anything about my dad."

"I don't know. Must have been the Doctor. " Rose shakes her head but considers her next words carefully.

"My father died years back. Never told the Doctor about him."

"But you've been thinking about him lately more than ever. "

"Mostly thought about him when you mentioned your own parents. I never got to meet him. Makes me sad, yeah, but how did you know?"

"Mister Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you, miss?"

"No, no servants where I'm from. I'm a bit poor, actually."

"But you've come such a long way. Longer than you realize. The Doctor knows."

"What makes you think so?"

"You're from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half naked, for shame. And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky, no, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you, you've flown so far. Further than anyone. The things you've seen. The darkness, the big bad wolf. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, miss."

"It's all right. What do you mean, though, 'the Doctor knows?'"

"I don't know. I get bits and flashes of things. Surface thoughts I think. I can't help it. Ever since I was a little girl, my mam said I had the sight. She told me to hide it." The Doctor appears behind the two women, unseen. He's been listening to the conversation for a while. He heard what Gwenyth told Rose about him knowing. She had come such a long way and had further still to go. He decides to break the silence, mostly to redirect his own thoughts.

"But it's getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?" He stops the conversation before Rose can question further. He's not hiding things from her, exactly, but he still thinks she'll feel betrayed if he knows something about her that she doesn't exactly know.

"All the time, sir. Every night, voices in my head."

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the _key_."

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts."

"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"We're going to have a séance."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor gathers everyone together while Gwenyth prepares herself for the ritual. She knows a bit. She's watched and learned, even though she knows it's not very godly. But she wanted desperately to get answers. So she directs them where to sit. There's five of them, sitting in a circle to make a star with her as the point, the focus.

"This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists, down in big town. Come, we must all join hands."

"I can't take part in this." Dickens is standing, refusing to sit at the table. Just like earlier, a part of him wants to believe, to learn about this new world he has foolishly gotten himself caught up in, but the more logical part of his mind says to run away.

"Humbug? Come on, open mind.  
DICKENS: This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing." There's a bit of contempt in his voice. He wants so badly not to believe that belittling the girl is an option, apparently.

"Now, don't antagonise her. I love a happy medium." He grins and Rose snorts.

"I can't believe you just said that." She tries to suppress a giggle and fails miserably. The Doctor tears his eyes from Rose and looks to Dickens.

"Come on, we might need you." He relents and sits between Rose and Gwenyth. All five of them join hands.

"Good man. Now, Gwyneth, reach out."

"Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden." A whispering can be heard throughout the room. Rose tilts her head.

"Can you hear that?" Her voice has an otherworldly tinge to it as well. The Doctor glances at her and sees her eyes flash gold. It's not noticeable yet but he had hoped that the Wolf wouldn't make her presence known here. He takes heart in the fact that no one else is seeing what he is.

"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly."

"Look at her." Her words cut into the Doctor. She's trying to tell him something but he doesn't want to listen. He killed someone yesterday. He almost killed his own people. He wants to atone for those mistakes.

"I see them. I feel them." Gas tendrils drift above their heads. But none manifest. Just whispers. Rose has a pained expression on her face that the Doctor can't help but notice.

"What's it saying, Gwenyth?" Rose's voice is breathy. No one is listening to her, though. All eyes and ears are on Gwenyth. Gwenyth's strain is showing.

"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now, look deep. Allow them through." He tries to show the faith he has in her on his face, to inspire her. He's seen plenty of telepaths through the ages. She's not the strongest, and she degrades herself with her philosophies stemming from her faith.

"I can't!"

"Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link." She breathes deeply and her eyes open wide.

"Yes." Blue outlines of people appear behind Gwyneth. Three distinctly humanoid shapes hover in the air.

"Great God! Spirits from the other side." He resists the urge to cross himself. The Doctor his holding tight to his hand, as is Rose. The Doctor notices that Rose's eyes are still gold. And is she glaring at the Gelth?

"The other side of the universe." The figures speak with children's voices, and Gwyneth speaks with them.

"Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us." The Doctor shivers.

"What do you want us to do?"

"The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge."

"What for?"

"We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction."

"Why, what happened?"

"Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came."

"War? What war?" Dickens asks. He is entranced now, as are the rest of the group. Except Rose. She is still glaring at the Gelth, back rigid, hands tense.

"The Time War. The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state."

"So that's why you need the corpses."

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us."

"Liar. You can't use those bodies." She whispers the words. The Doctor snaps his head in her direction. She seems to be fighting an inner battle and he almost reaches across the table to her but he doesn't.

"Why not?" The Doctor is addressing her now. He wants to help the victims of the Time War. It came at a huge cost to many species across the cosmos and if he can help save one he might be able to redeem himself. His own world is lost to him.

"It's not..." She trails off. He tries to make sense of her words.

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives." The look she gives him is full of pain, guilty, and sympathy.

"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth." The Gelth go back into the gas lamps and Gwyneth collapses across the table.

"Gwyneth?" Rose gets up and moves to Gwenyth. Dickens and Sneed are in shock and the Doctor is staring at Rose. Her eyes are still flecked gold when she looks at him. She shakes her head then looks down at Gwenyth.

"All true." Dickens is shaking from shock. His disbelief was just thrown through the window.

"Are you okay?" Rose is whispering to Gwenyth, trying to get her to wake up. The Doctor touches her hand. Then moves to pick up the girl and take her to lay down. He places her in the lounge on a sofa and pulls Rose into the hallway.

"What's happening, Rose?" She shakes her head, refusing to look at him. He cups her chin with his thumb and finger and tilts her head up to look him in the eye.

"Rose, talk to me."

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I can't..." She chokes the last out, stiffling a sob.

"Do you know what's happening?"

"What part? Do I know what will happen here? Yes. Do I know of what is inside me? Yes."

The Doctor is shocked. He had thought that there would be more time before she became fully aware. Rose replies, as if she has heard his thoughts. Maybe she has.

"She talks to me, in my dreams. She tells me what's happening. And the more I see her, the more aware I become."

"Does it frighten you?"

She shakes her head. He strokes her cheek with his thumb. She turns her head into his hand and places a kiss on his palm then walks away. He blinks, stunned. But she has long gone before he remembers he has legs to follow her with.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He finds Rose back in the lounge, tutting over Gwenyth. The girl looks like she has just woken.

"It's all right. You just sleep."

"But my angels, miss. They came, didn't they? They need me?"

"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're they're only chance of survival." The Doctor is unsure of what to do with Rose, so he's decided to address the current situation. They'll sort themselves out later.

"I've told you, leave her alone. She's exhausted and she's not fighting your battles." She holds a cup of tea to her lips and helps her to drink.

"Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again. What are they?"

"Aliens."

"Like foreigners, you mean?"

"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there."

"Brecon?" The Doctor rolls his eyes at Sneed but nods his head. Easier to explain that than extraterrestrial life.

"Close. And they've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through and even then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes."

"Which is why they need the girl." Dickens has finally joined the conversation.

"They're not having her."

"But she can help. Living on the rift, she's become part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge and let them through."

"Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world, who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers."

"Good system. It might work." The Doctor grins at Dickens. His view has changed tremendously since the night started.

"Please, Doctor, you can't let them do this." Rose is pleading with him, willing him to understand reason. She's can't outright say what is happening. Yes, some things can change, but not all things. And in the end, it's not her decision.

"Why not? It's like recycling."

"Seriously though, you can't." She begs him to listen to her. To them.

"Seriously though, I can." He begs her to listen to him as well.

"It's just..." She stops what she is about to say and growls in frustration. He can feel the inner struggle still going on even though her eyes aren't nearly as gold. Barely noticeable unless you knew what you were looking for. But he wanted her to understand.

"Do you carry a donor card?"

"Yes, but that's not...that's not what this is about."

"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home. You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying." She shakes her head.

"I don't care. They're not using her." Gwenyth touches Rose's arm and makes her turn to look her in the eyes.

"Don't I get a say, miss?"

"Look, you don't understand what's going on."

"You would say that, miss, because that's very clear inside your head, that you think I'm stupid." Rose smiles softly at her.

"Oh Gwenyth, that's not it at all. But it's your choice. It's always been your choice."

"It's true, though. Things might be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind, and the angels need me. Doctor, what do I have to do?"

"You don't have to do anything." He looks at Rose when he says this, though. Pleading with her with his eyes.

"They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mam on a holy mission. So tell me."

"We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?"

"That would be the morgue."

Rose sighs and looks at the Doctor then leaves the room. He excuses himself and follows. She doesn't say anything, just steps up to him and hugs him. He returns the hug, confused. This entire adventure has confused him. Their first adventure wasn't nearly this bad. He wonders for a moment what she knows that happens here and why it is upsetting her so. He strokes his hands up and down her back, trying to comfort her. She steps away from him after a moment and walks back into the other room. They all gather together and follow Sneed to the morgue.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

"Urgh. Talk about Bleak House."

"The thing is, Doctor, the Gelth don't succeed, 'cos I know they don't."

"Succeed at what? Time's in flux, changing every second. Your cozy little world can be rewritten like that. Nothing is safe. Remember that. Nothing."

"Doctor, I think the room is getting colder." Dickens looks around, shivering. The Doctor can't tell much of a temperature difference. Part of the perks of his biology is that only extreme temperatures phase him. His outfit is a bit uncomfortable, but that has nothing to do with the temperature and everything to do with it not being his current armor.

"Here they come." She whispers this, her eyes glowing a faint gold again. The Doctor notices that her eyes have been gold for almost the entire duration inside this house. That has him worried more and more. He almost wants to stop Gwenyth, but he wants to help these entities more. A Gelth comes out of a gas lamp by the door and stands under a stone archway.

"You've come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him."

"Promise you won't hurt her." She whimpers. She knows it's in vain. She knows what will happen and it is too late to stop it. She glances at the Doctor, sorrow written across her features. She backs to the back of the room.

"Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth."

"I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"

"My angels. I can help them live." Gwenyth is entranced by the Gelth, her eyes never leaving them.

"Okay, where's the weak point?"

"Here, beneath the arch." Gwenyth echoes the Gelth, their words merging into one voice, like in the séance. Gwyneth stands under the arch, inside where the Gelth are hovering. Rose sobs from her sanctuary in the back.

"My angels. "

"Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!"

"Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come!"

"Bridgehead establishing."

"Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls!"

"It is begun. The bridge is made." Gwyneth opens her mouth, and blue gas comes out. The Doctor is watching in awe as he slowly backs towards Rose. She's crying, but silently, and staring at Gwenyth. He imagines he has heard the words 'I'm so, so sorry' spill from her lips.

"She has given herself to the Gelth. The bridge is open. We descend." The voices of the Gelth drop in pitch. The gentle blue glow they were emitting changes to a fiery orange. Their faces, which had looked childlike before, now look like apparitions with sharp teeth. The Doctor inhales sharply and reaches for Rose's hand.

"The Gelth will come through in force."

"You said that you were few in number." Dickens has backed himself towards the exit.

"A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses." All the dead in the room get up. Sneed is still in the middle of the room, pleading with Gwenyth, with the Gelth.

"Gwyneth, stop this. Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you.."

"Mister Sneed, get back!" But it's too late. One of the corpses has already broken his neck. One of the gaseous Gelth descend into his mouth and he rises with the rest.

"I think it's gone a little bit wrong. I'm sorry, Rose."

"We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead."

"Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back now!" Rose looks at him sadly.

"She can't, Doctor."

"Three more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth." The Doctor and Rose scramble behind the metal gate, closing it quickly. The Doctor knows it won't hold for long but any barrier they have to get through buys him time.

"Doctor, I can't. I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I'm so.." He runs from the morgue, back to the surface and safety.

"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth."

"I trusted you. I pitied you!" His voice breaks at his admission. His guilt over the Time War overriding his sense. He should have listened to Rose. He should have trusted her judgment.

"We don't want your pity. We want this world and all it's flesh."

"Not while I'm alive." He practically growls this out.

"Then live no more."

"But I can't die. Tell me I can't. I haven't even been born yet. It's impossible for me to die. Isn't it?"

"I'm sorry."

"But it's 1869. How can I die now?"

"Time isn't a straight line. You of all people know this. It can twist into any shape. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you here."

"It's not your fault. I wanted to come."

"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon in Cardiff." He says this with disdain, like this is the worst place on Earth he could end up. But mostly he's trying to make her laugh. He doesn't think it's working.

"It's not just dying. We'll become one of them." He can hear the fear in her voice.

"We'll go down fighting, yeah?" She looks at him and grins, trying to erase the fear from her face.

"Yeah." He squeezes her hand.

"Together?"

"Yeah."

"I'm so glad I met you."

"Me too." Dickens runs in. He shouts at the Doctor.

"Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!"

"What're you doing?"

"Turn it all on. Flood the place!"

"Brilliant. Gas."

"What, so we choke to death instead?"

"Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous."

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!" The corpses leave the Doctor and Rose, and start shambling towards Dickens.

"I hope, oh Lord, I hope that this theory will be validated soon, if not immediately."

"Plenty more!" The Doctor rips a gas pipe from the wall. Rose covers her mouth with her shawl. The Gelth leave the corpses.

"It's working." Now safe, the Doctor and Rose come out of the gate.

"Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels."

"She can't, Doctor."

"Liars?"

"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!" Rose backs from the Doctor and towards Dickens, trying for the way out.

"I can't breathe."

"Charles, get her out."

"I don't want to leave her."

"They're too strong. "

"Remember that world you saw? Rose's world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift."

"I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out." Gwyneth takes a box of matches from her apron pocket.

"You can't!"

"I can little Wolf! Leave this place!"

"Rose, get out. Go now. I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!" Rose and Dickens scramble out of the morgue, up the stairs, and out of the house. They are both struggling, the gas becoming too much. But they make it out and down the road before they collapse, breathing heavily. Rose panics, frantically searching for the Doctor. A calm, cool presence envelopes her and she sits back. Tears still streak down her face, in mourning of the girl who will be giving her life. Back in the morgue, the Doctor is in denial, trying to get Gwenyth to give him the matches. He doesn't want another body on his hands.

"Come on, leave give that to me." Gwyneth doesn't move. The Doctor feels for a pulse in her neck.

"I'm sorry. I wish I'd listened to Rose." He kisses her forehead. "Thank you."

The Doctor runs out. Gwyneth opens the box and takes out a match. The Gelph swirl around her as the Doctor runs through the house. The Doctor emerges from the house and second later, the entire place explodes. The Doctor goes flying across the street.

"She didn't make it." Her voice is resigned, but not surprised. The Doctor looks at her sadly.

"I'm sorry. She closed the rift."

"At such a cost. The poor child."

"I did try, Rose, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes. I think she was dead from the minute she stood in that arch."

"She saved the world. A servant girl. No one will ever know." The walk, hand in hand, back to the TARDIS, Dickens following in their wake.

"Right then, Charlie boy, I've just got to go into my, er, shed. Won't be long."

"What are you going to do now?" The Doctor notices that Rose seems to like Dickens.

"I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital."

"You've cheered up." The Doctor grins at him. At least part of this will have a happy ending.

"Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I'm inspired. I must write about them."

"Do you think that's wise?" Rose asks him, but intrigued on how he will end it.

"I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth."

"Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic."

"Bye, then, and thanks." Rose shakes Dickens' hand then kisses his cheek. Confusion and shock play across his face.

"Oh, my dear. How modern. Thank you, but, I don't understand. In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?"

"You'll see. In the shed."

"Upon my soul, Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this. Who are you?"

"Just a friend passing through."

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor, do they last?"

"Oh, yes!"

"For how long?"

"Forever." He looks uncomfortable for a moment then grabs Rose's hand again. "Right. Shed. Come on, Rose."

"In the box? Both of you?" The Doctor grins at Dickens before pulling Rose into the TARDIS with him.

"Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?"

"In a week's time it's 1870, and that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story."

"Oh, no. He was so nice."

"But in your time, he was already dead. We've brought him back to life, and he's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie boy. Let's give him one last surprise." He dances around the console, flipping switches and levers. The TARDIS starts to dematerialize. Dickens laughs in excitement and walks slowly back down the street. A man greets him. It's after midnight now and christmas.

"God bless us everyone!" He goes to his room to pack, planning on leaving early to go back to his family. To go back Home.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_Warning: Next chapter might get a little smutty. Not sure yet, honestly. Thought I would give a friendly warning in case it does._


	7. Admissions

_I do not own Doctor Who. More soul-searching between the two. Not really sure where this one is taking me._

_**Purple Guest:**__ Thank you for the reviews. A few of the points you brought up are addressed in the Prequels. Others will be addressed as time progresses._

**Admissions**

The Doctor left Dickens and 1869 Cardiff and put them in the Time Vortex. Rose is sitting jump seat, shoulders slumped forward, hands twisting in her lap. He walks over and takes her hands. He gently pulls her up to standing and hugs her, stroking her back.

"Wacha thinkin'?"

"I knew what was going to happen. Why couldn't I save her?" Rose's voice breaks and she's on the verge of tears.

"Because you can't save everyone, precious girl. And it was her time. There was no other way for that to end without her death. They would eventually gotten strong enough to push through and it could have been much worse. Foreknowledge is dangerous. It has the potential to change events that shouldn't be changed. That's why I don't look into people's Time Lines anymore. Because it hurts." His voice breaks a bit as well. They stand there, holding one another, gently swaying to the rhythm of their heartbeats.

After a few minutes, the Doctor grabs her shoulders gently and steps her back. Her wide eyes look up at him, questioning.

"I am sorry for not listening to you. Maybe if I had, it could have been prevented. But I'm a stubborn old man, Rose. I already had Cassandra's death on my hands and I didn't want more. And they used the War against me. It devastated so many different planets and cultures. I just wanted to make amends somehow."

"The deaths in the Time War aren't yours alone, Doctor."

"You don't understand, Rose. A good bit of that blood is on my own hands, let alone the rest of the Time Lords. And if I hadn't ended it, the entire Universe could have been destroyed." He's near tears himself now. Rose is the only person he's ever been able to talk about the War with but she was there for the last of it. She understood the sacrifices he had almost made. He wants so badly for this one to forgive him but he also wants his Rose back so badly.

He's so caught in his thoughts that he's caught unawares. It's not until he feels the soft press of her lips against his that he snaps back to himself. It's a quick kiss, and she pulls back before it's completely registered in his brain.

"I forgive you, Doctor. Because the man I see before me isn't a murderer. He isn't a monster. War does bad things to people. It changes them. But the man standing before me is good. He travels through time and space, trying to right the wrongs of the Universe. You make the hard decisions. The ones that everyone else is too scared to make. You're the bravest man I know. But you are so lonely. Let me be your hand to hold."

He stares at her, awe-struck. There are only a few flecks of gold in her eyes. But she's forgiving him, committing herself to him. It's almost more than he can bear. So he does the only thing he can. He bends down and meets her in a kiss. One hand is splayed on her back, the other caressing her neck. She wraps her arms around his waist and opens to him, letting him take whatever he needs. It's enough to make him sob slightly. It's almost too much. But he's wanted her since she stepped into his life. And it's so innocent, and so right.

He breaks the kiss after a moment, remembering that she is still human and needs to breathe. He looks her deep in the eyes, searching.

"Stop searching for me, Doctor. I'm right here. We are the same person, young and old. Let us love you."

With that, all worries and doubts are cast aside. His hands are shaking a bit as he unpins her hair. He inhales sharply when all her tresses fall down around her shoulders.

"I meant what I said earlier, Rose. You're beautiful." Before she can say another word, he captures her lips with his own. He threads his fingers through her hair, tugging gently, eliciting a small moan from her. His other hand wanders down her neck and across her shoulders, playing with the skin that is laying bare to him. Light touches, barely a caress, just enough to give her goose bumps and set her ablaze. Just as suddenly, he's gone. Her eyes flutter open and she stares at him. His hand is outstretched, an invitation. His expression is soft, pleading, longing and a touch apprehensive. But it has to be her choice.

Instead of taking his hand, she grabs his wrist lightly and nuzzles her face into his palm. Her lips are parted slightly. He closes his eyes and just feels her breath ghosting across his palm, fingers twitching slightly. And just like he was, she's gone.

His eyes snap up, searching for her frantically. She is across the Console Room, heading back towards the rooms. He panics slightly, thinking he's done something wrong. But she turns to him and grins widely, eyes full of mischief.

It is his undoing.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He catches up to her and takes her hand, the same as he always does. He brings it to his lips and kisses the back of it, and they grin at each other. In all his 900+ years (he had honestly stopped counting) he had never felt this care-free or loved. Those were foreign emotions to Time Lords. Granted, he had always been a bit of a rebel. But this was so much more than he ever thought he could feel. It was a bit overwhelming.

They reach the doorways heading to their separate bedrooms. It seems on the way, they had come to a mutual understanding. Maybe it was the Wolf whispering through her or his own lingering doubts, but the fire that had been threatening to consume them had lessened to a dull roar. Her hormones had ebbed and she stands before him, still in that stunning dress. He takes her hands and presses his forehead against hers.

"I'll be here, Doctor, when you need me. But it is you who has to decide. Either way I'll be happy. But think about what you really want."

He blinks at her. How is it that this nineteen year old shop girl was the one imparting the wisdom while he acted the part of the hormone driven teenager?

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He steps back from her and searches her face. What does he want from her? Not sex, although that is there, definitely. He'd probably never admit it if he hadn't met the older version of her and fallen for her first. And now, looking at her, all he sees is 'Rose'. No differentiation between the one he knew and the one standing before him. They are both **his** Rose.

"I want a hand to hold. Someone that can share in the adventure and revel in it as much as I do. Someone who isn't afraid to take chances and do what's right. And someone to stop me from going too far."

"You've got that a hundred-fold from me. But what do you _**want**_ from me, Doctor?"

His brow furrows. He strokes the backs of her hands with his thumbs while he thinks.

"I want..." He trails off, unsure of how to proceed. "I want you. Whatever you will give me. And as slow as you want. For now, a hand to hold, an ear to listen, and a shoulder to rest my head on when it becomes too much. I've shared more with you than anyone else in my entire history. And I'll share everything if you'll let me. Now, though, I want to lose myself in your arms. Simply lying there will do. But you're a safe haven to chase my nightmares away." His eyes are open and honest when he looks at her again.

She grins at him.

"Help me out of this corset. Let me get changed and I'll meet you back in your room in an hour?"

"How did you manage to get it on without help?"

"Not sure, honestly. Think the TARDIS helped a bit." He nods and starts unhooking the contraption from her. Even though they have backed down from intimate intentions, undressing her is still intoxicating. He can't help brushing his fingers against her skin as he struggles with the bothersome top. Finally, all the hooks are free. He lifts the troublesome garment off her and she reaches her arms up, stretching her ribcage. He sucks in a sharp breath. He wants nothing more than to reach out and touch her. She's given him more than permission but he doesn't want to move too fast. He's still cautious about his heart, even though he knows he far beyond gone. But if he touches, he may not be able to stop.

He closes his eyes and lets out a shuddery breath.

"You alright, Doctor?"

"Yeah..." His answer is barely above a whisper. He doesn't move, and keeps his eyes closed. Less tempting, he tries to tell himself. That is until her hand palms his cheek. He nuzzles into her touch without thinking. He has a moment to decide to step back, or to let himself fall and hope that Rose catches him. He opens his eyes and lets himself fall.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He lets her go long enough to change. She tells him that she will take a shower as well. Pushing away the images that spring to mind, he decides to do the same.

He has sleep clothes, but he hardly wears them. He only sleeps when he passes out, never taking the time to change. Tonight, he does. Tonight is special. It will be the first time they share a bed together, at least this her. He finds himself, amazingly, craving this domestic action. The getting ready for bed and sleeping next to someone. Even his own wife he hardly touched and they definitely didn't sleep together. In any fashion. But he missed the nights sleeping next to Rose.

He picks out a soft blue cotton t-shirt and dark blue sleep pants. Solid colors are his comfort zone although he did pick out softer colors than what his armor is for this life.

Rose arrives in his, no their, room dressed similarly. She also has blue t-shirt and darker blue capri sleep pants. He suppresses a chuckle. If he didn't know better, he would think the TARDIS picked those clothes out for her. Then again, she didn't bring any clothes on board so the TARDIS might have done.

He holds out his arms and she walks into his embrace. They hold one another, both relishing the feel of one another through the thin layers of clothing. Tonight isn't about sex, but intimacy. A chance to get used to one another before they decide to take the next step.

He leads her to the bed. He curls up against her, spooning her, and they both drift to sleep.


	8. Of Sundresses

_I do not own Doctor Who._

_That last chapter bounced back and forth between wanting to be smutty and not. I finally went with not. The Doctor has been smitten with Rose since he first met her, and Rose is the same way. This time she has the added benefit of the Bad Wolf in her, which is slightly enhancing these feelings. It won't be long, honestly. But I think their closeness needs to be expanded on before they fall into bed together._

_For those that haven't read the Prequels, I recommend you do. A lot of things will make more sense if you read them first. Other things will be explained as the stories progress. Bad Wolf does manifest itself fairly frequently. She is a bit possessive, but then that was why she was created in the first place. To keep the Doctor safe._

_Now, for a bit of fluff for the two before she goes home. The planet name will sound familiar. That is intended._

_********__**Warning**__**:**__ There will be talk of abuse (physical and sexual) as well as self-harm. Nothing extensive, only mentions. They are near the end of the chapter. A warning is up before and after the section in question._

_**********__**Update:**____I just changed this chapter. It's in the confession scene where Rose is telling what Jimmy actually did to her. I put she was there for months but that no longer fits with where I want this to go. I've changed it to hours. The reasons why will be explained later._

**Of Sundresses**

The Doctor slept peacefully for the first time in weeks. Ever since the Wolf had left him and paired with this younger Rose he had been avoiding sleep. She'd stayed with him almost from the beginning and his nightmares hadn't come back with her in his arms. He even found himself in bed most nights, even though he didn't really need to sleep that often. It was a comfort to her, and a bit of domestic that he would gladly accept if it meant seeing her smile.

He would never admit to anyone (well, maybe Rose) but he loves the simplicity of the domestics at times. But _**only**_ with Rose.

As he lies there, drifting back into consciousness, he notices Rose is dreaming. As he looks at her, she doesn't seem distressed so he lets her be. She is curled into his side with her head on his shoulder and her hand in between his hearts. It was a pose they had fallen into before the Wolf had left him and he doesn't want to move. He misses those things with Rose and is beyond excited that he is getting them again. So he lies there until she decides to wake.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_She finds herself in a mansion she had never seen before, but feels so familiar. She was alone, but along the walls were pictures. She was in all of them. Some was with a man with a brown pinstriped suit and spiky hair. Others her leather-clad Doctor that she traveled with now. Still another was a man in Victorian clothing and striking eyes. Somehow, she knew they were the same man. The Doctor._

"_Hello, Cub."_

_Rose spins towards the voice. It's someone she doesn't recognize. The woman is dressed in a grey Victorian-style dress. Her dark hair is partially pinned up, hairdo piled high but still spilling down her neck. Her eyes are dark, but the emotions that seem to be pouring from them make her feel so safe and loved. Just like the Doctor, she realizes._

"_Who are you?" She asks the woman tentatively. She's still unsure. She's become a bit cautious since meeting the Doctor. Things aren't always what they seem._

"_A part of you."_

"_Are you the Wolf?"_

"_Sort of. The Wolf is a combination of Rose Tyler and the TARDIS. An unstoppable force to save the Doctor."_

_Rose stops and regards the woman for a moment._

"_You're the TARDIS, then." It wasn't a question. The other woman smiles widely._

"_Oh yes. Well, the part that lives in you." Rose decides not to question that further for now._

"_Why are we here?"_

"_It's your memories." Rose looks at her, confused._

"_I don't recognize most of this."_

"_Some hasn't happened. Some won't happen now. But you'll remember them all when the time is right. I wanted you here to show you something."_

_Rose looks at the woman, eyebrows raised._

"_Look at these pictures, Rose. Look at how happy you are when the two of you are around each other. You are the light in his otherwise dismal world. And he is the light in yours. You have a darkness in you as well. Besides what the Wolf has gone through, you little Cub, have gone through much in your short life. Enough to give you nightmares."_

_Rose's face is stricken now. She doesn't like to remember those times. She looks fearfully at the woman and shakes her head, keeping eye contact._

"_Oh, you beautiful girl. You'll need to tell him eventually. And you'll be so much happier if you aren't bottling this up inside. He trusts you enough to let himself fall and you will catch him. He'll catch you, I promise."_

_Rose still looks unsure. She's chewing on her bottom lip. Nervous habit of hers._

"_Little Cub, let him in. Let him love you." Rose takes a deep breath and nods. The woman smiles widely again and embraces her._

"_Today, I'm going to guide us to some place warm and quiet. You need a bit of a rest and I think my Thief needs to relax. He is running from his past so much that he sometimes misses the present. So, wake up, Rose Tyler, and let's start the day."_

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor feels Rose stirring long before she actually opens her eyes. He smiles to himself, glad to have her awake. He loves holding her. But he likes to see her awake, to make her smile and to let her make him smile as well.

She moves against him, fisting her hand in his shirt as she groans. He moves her hair out of her face and grins at her. She blinks blearily at him before snuggling her face into his neck and breathing deeply. The intimate gesture back his stomach turn in excitement. He was determined to tamp those feelings down a bit, at least for today.

"Where we going today, then?" Rose mumbled, her voice further muffled by his neck. Her dream was already falling apart in her mind.

"Not sure. Think I'll put the TARDIS on random and see where she takes us."

Rose smiles into his neck.

"I guess that means I need to get up?"

"Yeah, we do."

He kisses her lightly before bounding out of bed. She pouts at him as he disappears into the en suite to get ready for the day. After a moment, she grudgingly gets out of bed and starts towards her room.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When she enters the Console Room, he has to pick his jaw off the floor. She's dressed in a light blue sundress that hits just below her knees. The top is fitted to her form, showing off her curves. It flares at her waist. Her shoes are simple white flats.

He quickly recovers, giving her a wide grin.

"Where'd you apparently land us today?"

"Are you calling me a bad driver? I've only taken you to one wrong place. Got the end of the world right, didn' I?"

She smiles teasingly at him.

"Not the point. Where'd you take us this time?"

"Bessan. Lovely planet. Has a nice beach and a few resorts. The native have wings. They look similar to bat wings. They look similar to humans but with darker colors and a bit backwards legs, kinda like a dog or cat. A bit taller than the average human, too."

"So, similar to the Gargoyles, the cartoons, right?"

He looks at her confused and she shakes her head.

"Nevermind. Let's go out, yeah? You gonna change?"

"I thought you liked what I'm wearin'" He looks a bit hurt.

"Oh shush. I like what you're wearin' just fine." He grins at her and holds out his hand.

"Shall we?" She takes his hand and smiles.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

It was actually a lovely, relaxing day. After getting over how the natives looked (they _**were**_ a bit like the Gargoyles cartoon), Rose and the Doctor spent the day relaxing at their equivalent of a funfair. He spent the first hour or so on edge, looking for some nefarious plot but nothing popped up. Eventually, he relaxed enough to enjoy being next to Rose.

There were a few rides and Rose drug him onto all of them. He feigned indifference at first, but her infectious smile and laughter soon shook him out of his stupor and he allowed himself to have fun.

Now, they are seated at a very high-end restaurant, eating dinner. The meal consists of a stir-fry of local meats and vegetables served over a type of noodle. It reminds Rose of low mien. They eat and laugh and generally enjoy each other's company. Eventually, the conversation tapers and they sit, holding hands, enjoying the ambient noises company from around them.

The Doctor, in true Doctor fashion, gets restless after a bit. Meal finished, he stretches out his hand in invitation. Rose grins and immediately lets him help her from her seat. They walk through the streets, hand in hand, leaning against one another. They walk next to the riverfront, slowing down to watch the play of light against the water's surface.

"This was a good day," Rose whispers.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" He grins at her.

"No runnin', no hidin', no fightin'. It was perfect."

"Maybe I should put the TARDIS on random more often." A look crosses Rose's face before she can cover it. He looks at her, concerned, before turning her to face him.

"Everything alright, Rose?"

"She would've brought us here regardless. Said we needed a break." She keeps her head turned from him and his mild concern turns to worry.

"What else did she say?" His voice is light, cheerful but his insides are churning now. Quite a feat for his superior biology. Rose is already talking to the TARDIS. She's progressing much quicker than he had thought she would. Then again, the Wolf didn't give him any idea of how this would affect her.

"That I need to talk to you. To trust you."

"You don't?" He's a bit hurt, really. He thought, especially with the relationship they were building, that she trusted him. He hears her sigh heavily and redirects his attention to her and not his inner thoughts.

"Can we…can we go back to the TARDIS? Please?" She looks up to him and her eyes are full of hurt and pain. His eyes widen and he takes her arm, leading her in the direction of his ship. Long before they arrive, he notices Rose closing in on herself. Now he is alarmed and almost sprints, dragging her the last few feet to the TARDIS.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

****** This section contains triggers ******

Once inside, she calms. He guides her gently down the corridors to the Library. This is one of his sanctuaries in the TARDIS, when the day becomes too much. In the Library, the TARDIS has supplied several arm chairs scattered throughout and a couch sitting in front of a fire. There's a coffee table by the couch where several books are stacked. A cold cup of tea is also sitting there with a few biscuits. The last time he'd been in this room had been with the older Rose, the Wolf. He'd been reading her the Harry Potter books.

Tonight would be a bit different. The Doctor wasn't exactly sure what is bothering Rose, but it has him worried. He escorts her in and motions her to sit on the couch. He asks the TARDIS to start the fire in the fireplace and grabs some pillows and blankets. The pillows he places so they can lie down if they want. He kicks off his boots and motions for her to do the same. He sits with his back up against an arm and motions for her to sit in between his legs so he can hold her.

He holds her for fifteen minutes, trying to calm her shaking. He whispers soothing words to her in Gallifreyan. He's learned that she responds better to the chiming language than she does when he speaks English. It's almost as if she knows what it is he's saying. Then again, she's proven to be quite remarkable. It wouldn't surprise him if the Wolf knew and that was bleeding over.

Regardless, he sits and rubs her back until she calms. When she looks at him, her eyes are bleary with unshed tears.

"What's wrong, love?" She takes a deep breath.

"You know that dream the other night? The one where I was thrashing and you helped calm me down?"

He nods.

"Thank you, so much, for stopping that nightmare." Her voice is low, barely a whisper. He rubs her back again, writing 'I love you' in Gallifreyan across her back. When she begins again, her voice is stronger.

"When I was sixteen, I dropped out of school. Met a boy. He was older. In a band. Convinced me he was going to make it big. So, I followed him and his little band around while they played gigs and stuff. At first it was nice. Then I caught wind of his little girlfriends on the side. I'd never actually….had sex with him at this point. And I didn't plan on it after I found that out. I was packing my bags when he came home, drunk off his arse. He was so mad. He hit me. Not just slaps but actual hits. Then, when I couldn't fight back any more, he drug me to the bed."

Her eyes are glazed over, unseeing. She is reliving the memory, he realizes. Inside, he is boiling in anger. But on the surface, what she can feel, he is calm, comforting.

"He locked me in my room after that. I was trapped there for six hours before the authorities tracked me down. The flat was raided. I ended up in Intensive Care. He went away. Was sentenced to some jail time but Mickey and my Mum helped me get back on my feet. I went to counseling. I pieced my life back together. But I still get nightmares. That's what happened the other night. And that's why the TARDIS asked me to trust you. Now that she knows I have these, she's helped me keep them at bay. I guess she thought I needed to let you in as well."

Her voice trails off.

"Oh Rose. I didn't know. I didn't want to bring up the other night because I honestly didn't know which set of memories it was. I'm sorry. I wish I could've done more to help."

"You being here is helping. There's more, though. After I was discharged and before the counseling finally started helping, I…I hurt myself."

"Where?" His voice is hoarse. He fighting an inner battle of complete fury at the person who did this and absolute sorrow that she had to go through it. He keeps a strong, solid front for her but inside he wants nothing more than to break down and go after this person himself.

He breaks from his internal monologue when she moves. He notices the silent tear streaks down her face. He gently brushes them away. She removes the sundress that she was wearing. Across her stomach and thighs are hundreds of tiny cuts. None more than a centimeter across but her entire stomach and most of her thighs are covered.

He stares at them for a moment, unsure of what to do. What do you do when someone you love is hurting?

****** End of trigger section ******

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He reaches out a tentative hand to her stomach, where the worst scars seem to be. He feels her tense. He looks up at her, eyes searching and wide, and he hopes, full of love.

"I'm not going to hurt you, love."

She looks at him and nods. He gently runs his fingers up and over her stomach and thighs. It's barely a caress, barely enough to where she knows he's touching her.

"You're beautiful."

She chokes on a sob and shakes her head.

"Yes, you are. And one of these days I plan on showing you exactly how beautiful I think you are."

He scoots off the couch and kneels in front of her. He wraps his arms lightly around her thighs and lays his head against her stomach. She reaches out an unsure hand to run her fingers through his short hair. He lets out a shuddering breath and looks up at her.

"You, Rose Tyler, are the most beautiful woman with whom I have ever had the pleasure of keeping company. Do not think for one second that you are unworthy or unloved by me." The conviction in his voice stuns her. She smiles down at him weakly. He kisses her stomach, just above her navel.

He tugs her gently down so she is kneeling as well. He wraps her into a proper, bone-crushing hug.

"Let's go to bed, love. Tomorrow, why don't we make a trip home? Let you see you mum and get a few things if you want."

Rose gives him a huge, heart-stopping grin. Him offering to take her home is a huge feat considering she knows he doesn't do 'domestics'. And nothing like the one who had hurt her. She holds him tightly, burying her face in his neck. Maybe, maybe she could actually do this relationship.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_I felt I needed to clarify that dream from the other day. Since not much is known in canon on Jimmy Stone (details are sketchy in regards to him from what I've found), I made up a bit of a back-story for him and Rose's relationship._

_The Doctor is starting to realize that it doesn't matter which Rose he is actually around, they are the same person. I mentioned that in the last chapter. He is in love with Rose Tyler, doesn't matter which one._


	9. Aliens of London

_I do not own Doctor Who._

_I will be moving soon, so updates might not be as frequent. It should still be once a week, though._

_Again, some scenes are deleted._

**Aliens of London**

The Doctor wakes before Rose. He stares at her sleeping form in his arms and can't believe that this is real. He never imagined himself with a lover. Not that they were that yet. But this is too close to becoming a family, becoming domestic. But lying here with Rose in his arms, the domestics don't scare him as much. So long as he has her hand to hold, he just might be able to make it. And he knows, in the back of his mind, that she won't leave him. Not from death. Not if the changes of the Wolf have a chance to come to be. It's comforting to know she'll be there for his forever.

He carefully slides out of bed, trying not to wake her. She mumbles in her sleep, then grabs his pillow and cradles it to her chest. He smiles down at her. After last night's revelations, he has plans for her. First, is a big Breakfast. Then, like he promised, a trip to see her mum. The thought of seeing the woman again gives him the chills. It's a part of the domestics that he definitely doesn't want. But he'll endure today for Rose.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

She wakes to the smell of eggs, bacon, and toast. Walking into the room is the Doctor, carrying a tray of what she assumes to be edible food. It smells good, at least. He smiles at her when he gets close, noticing that she is awake. She gives him a small smile back, the smell of food chasing away her normally horrible attitude towards morning.

"What's the occasion?"

"What? Can't just make Breakfast for you?"

He sits next to her while she eats, content to just watch her. Were it anyone else, she would find it creepy but watching people is just part of how the Doctor operates.

When she's done, she smiles at him.

"Thank you, for that. And for offering to bring me to see Mum."

"Anything for you, Rose Tyler." She kisses him lightly, barely a brush of lips. He moves to deepen the kiss, cupping her face gently. They break the kiss after a moment and just rest their foreheads together.

"You going to make it through today?" She whispers.

"I've suffered through worse. Besides, not sure I'll come up. Something tells me that she'll get a bit angry if you're with me. I look old enough to be your dad."

"Honestly, I think your age difference will shock her more." She grins at him, tongue in teeth.

"You plan on telling her I'm an alien?"

"Might do. Not sure yet. We'll see how today goes."

"Well, I've already piloted us there. All that's left is for you to do is to get ready. I'll meet you in the Console Room."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose enters the Console Room about thirty minutes later. They smile at one another, although the Doctor's looks a bit forced.

"Doctor, you don't have to come with me if you don't want."

"It's not that I don't want to. It's just…awkward." She raises an eyebrow. "What I mean is, you're basically taking me home to meet your mum. Isn't that what a couple does?"

She snickers at him a bit.

"We are a couple. I know you can't return this, but yeah, I think it's something we need to do. Let me head up there and settle things before you come up. I'll call you when it's safe to come up. How long have I been gone?"

"About twelve hours." She nods and smiles.

"I could make up an excuse about going to Shareen's. I'll see how it goes. Now, don't you disappear before I call you."

"Cross my hearts." She smiles at him before disappearing out the door. He contemplates staying in and just running diagnostics and repairs on the TARDIS, but he did tell Rose that he would try this, for her. He sighs and steps out of the TARDIS. He notices a few posters plastered across the buildings and electrical poles. Curious, he grabs one. His eyes widen as he realizes they had been gone for a year, not just twelve hours. She was going to kill him!

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose enters the apartment. She doesn't see her mum around, which is odd. Maybe she'd gone out with friends? She tries yelling for her anyway. She really does want to see her, especially after spilling her soul. The Doctor reacted well but some things need a Mother's touch to soothe.

"I'm back!" She hears a cup drop and break in the Kitchen. Her mum comes running in and gives her a crushing embrace. Rose staggers back but hugs back after she regains her footing.

"It's you." She steps back and looks at Rose, almost as if she's searching for something. She cups Rose's face, almost in disbelief that she is real. Rose glances around the flat and sees the posters. Posters everywhere saying she is missing and has been for months. She closes her eyes to keep from glaring. Daft alien didn't check before they walked out. She replies to her mom, her voice a bit tired sounding.

"Of course it's me."

"Oh, my God. It's you. Oh my God." Jackie continues to look Rose over, muttering that she can't believe it's her. Rose barely manages to keep her eyes from rolling. She told Mickey to let everyone know that she might be gone for a while. Obviously, he didn't. Just when she thinks she might not be able to take her mum's prodding anymore, the Doctor bursts into the flat, poster still in his hand and eyes just a bit wild.

"It's not twelve hours, it's twelve months. You've been gone a whole year. Sorry."

"Yup, gathered that, thanks." Upon seeing the Doctor, Jackie's eyes narrow. She recognizes this man. He's the same one that said Rose would get a settlement of 'millions'. And here he is with her after she'd swanned off for a year. She stomps out of the room to grab the phone and call the police.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

"The hours I've sat here, days and weeks and months, all on my own. I thought you were dead, and where were you? Travelling. What the hell does that mean, travelling? That's no sort of answer. You ask her. She won't tell me. That's all she says. Travelling."

"That's what I was doing. I told Mickey to let you know. It was a spur of the moment decision."

"When your passport's still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another." Rose almost feels guilty, but her mum's anger is starting to wear her thin. She's seen the death of the Earth, beautiful nebulas, alien markets, and Charles Dickens. If only she could get her mum to understand how much better this was making her. But not with the policeman here.

"I meant to phone. I really did. I just I forgot. We were a big out in the styx a few times and I didn't remember once we'd gotten back to civilization."

"What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here. I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

"Actually, it's my fault. I sort of er, employed Rose as my companion."

"When you say companion, is this a sexual relationship?" The policeman finally interjects, writing, or pretending to write. Rose rolls her eyes.

"You know what, instead of trying to figure out if I'm shagging him, I'll save you the time. Call this number. Her name is Kate. Ask her about a man called the Doctor."

"And who is this woman? You make it a point of dragging helpless women into your business. You have a harem or something?" Jackie's voice is quickly starting to rise, making the Doctor flinch. Rose is ignoring her mum and is still addressing the policeman.

"She works for UNIT. Tell her Rose Tyler told you to call." With that, she leaves the Living Room and heads to her own room. Now, instead of spending time with her mum, she really just wants to get some things and get out.

With Rose gone, Jackie turns her attention towards the Doctor, who is staring in the direction that Rose left. The policeman is on the phone, apparently with this Kate.

"Then what is it? Because you, you waltz in here all charm and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the Earth! How old are you then? Forty? Forty five? What, did you find her on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"

"I am a Doctor."

"Prove it. Stitch this, mate!" Jackie slaps him hard across the face. His eyes grow cold, his mind flashing back to the War for a moment. But the policeman has re-entered the room and looks at the Doctor apologetically. The Doctor reasserts his mask of control. Maybe if he does it enough, he'll believe that this entire situation isn't bothering him.

"My apologies, sir. You won't be hearing from us again. Tell Miss Tyler that Miss Lethbridge-Stewart has sorted everything. Mrs. Tyler, have a good day. Your daughter is in capable hands." With that, he leaves the flat. Jackie and the Doctor both stare after him, confusion on both their faces, but for completely different reasons.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose finally comes out of her room. The Doctor is propped against a wall in the Living Room and her mum is in the Kitchen, making tea. Jackie glances at her, eyes sad.

"Did you think about me at all?"

"I did. All the time. But the things we do, we see, are amazing. And I just got caught up in the moments."

"One phone call. Just to know that you were alive."

"I'm sorry. I really am."

"Do you know, what terrifies me is that you still can't say. What happened to you, Rose? What can be so bad that you can't tell me, sweetheart? Where were you?" She reaches out and touches Rose's cheek again. Now that they weren't screaming and angry, it was easier.

"One of these days, mum, I'll let you know everything that has happened. Just know that I was happy and having fun. It was amazing getting to see the things I've gotten to see and if I hadn't went with him, I wouldn't have seen any of it. He's not a bad man, mum. A bit daft, and a bit eccentric, but he's amazing."

"Oh my God! You're taken with him, aren't you? You shagging him yet? And what about Mickey?" Jackie's voice was a mixture of parental scolding but in a way, she does want to know if her daughter is happy. As much as she doesn't like Rose going with an older man (much older man) she actually seems to be happy. Glowing even.

"No mum, we aren't shagging. I broke up with Mickey before leaving. He actually sent us off. I told him to tell you not to worry, that I was going traveling. I guess he didn't?"

"No, he did, I just didn't believe him. Oh! I probably need to go call him." Jackie turns away guiltily to go call Mickey but Rose stops her with a gentle hand on her arm.

"Something tells me he doesn't want to talk to you. You didn't accuse him of killing me, did you?" When Jackie refuses to answer, Rose knows that she did. She shakes her head and proceeds to call Mickey. The Doctor has been silent this entire time, watching. It's funny that with all Rose has been through in her life, she still acts like the adult here. It makes him admire her that much more.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose has decided to go to the roof to make her phone call. He doesn't answer. She sighs and looks across the city. This is a sanctuary for her, a place to run and hide to get away from her problems. She used it plenty after Jimmy. She never thought she would use it to get away from her mum. The Doctor joins her shortly after the call disconnects.

"I can't tell her. I can't even begin. She's never going to believe me. And I missed a year. Was it good?"

"Middling." He shrugs. He's still mulling the fact that she knows about his involvement with UNIT. Must've been the older Rose.

"You're so useless."

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you going to stay here now?" His tone is light and joking, but there's a touch of fear in his eyes. Fear that she will say yes, she does want to stay. He's not sure if he can take that.

"No, not at all. But I can't do that to her. I need to tell her what is happening but I don't know how unless she comes with us."

"She's not coming with us."

"No chance." The look on her face is a bit of mild disgust. Her mum on the TARDIS while she and the Doctor are creating a relationship? No, probably not.

"I don't do families." His tone is gruff and there is an undercurrent of uncertainty. Like he thinks his answer will turn her away. Sensing this, she changes the subject.

"She slapped you!"

"Nine hundred years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother."

"To be fair, you did whisk me away for a year. But your face!"

"It hurt!" His voice was dangerously close to a whine.

"My mum asked if we were shagging." The Doctor coughs and turns a nice, dark shade of red. Rose laughs at him.

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth, of course! Because we aren't!"

"Did you tell her that we're together?"

"Not sure if she's ready to face that yet."

"How do you know this Lethbridge-Stewart woman?" Rose goes silent. He fears he might have breached some sort of protocol that he didn't know existed. When she looks at him again, though, it's the older Rose, her flecks of gold in her eyes all the sign he needs.

"When I came looking for you, between the Universes, I hit a pocket Universe where you were dead. It centered around Donna. She made a decision that day that cost you your life. It was your first adventure after losing me. You…you needed someone to stop you and she wasn't there. I ended up working with UNIT. She's one of their scientists. Climbing her way to the top and reforming the way UNIT thinks has a whole. Her dad would be proud of her."

"Did you meet her dad?"

"No. Even though it was an aborted Time Line, some things had already happened. He died of a nice, old age, passing his legacy on to her. One of these days, we need to stop by and see her, preferably before 2005 so she'll know how to answer that phone call." He regards her for a moment, surprised. She's gone and created a paradox. One they have no choice now to fulfill. Were it anyone else, he would be angry. But this is Rose Tyler, the Wolf, and nothing stands in the way of the Goddess of Time.

"How are you holding up, Doctor? With the younger me?"

"It's not much different, really. You're a bright person, Rose. Always asking the right questions. Extremely jeopardy friendly and nearly giving me a hearts-attack while swanning off. But you're still you. Took me a while to get that. I really don't see much of a difference anymore. Even the few times where the actual Wolf comes out to talk, it's still you guiding her. It's very weird. But I see you all as the same person now."

"That's good. We almost are now, you know. Some things won't be unlocked for a while. But instinctively she should know."

"Never thought I'd be able to love three woman at once. Definitely didn't think it would be in the same body." He grins down at her and she tries to glare but it doesn't last long. Soon enough, it will no longer be three and they both know it. It's just getting through the quirks. He watches as the gold dims in her eyes.

"Every conversation with you just goes mental. And there's no one I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet Earth who knows they exist…"

A horn blasts from almost right above them. They look up to see a space ship, smoking, hurtling towards the center of the city. It barely misses the Tower bridge and St Paul's before it dives towards the Thames. It knocks out the Clock Tower before crashing. As it crashes, they hear Big Ben chime in the background. Rose and the Doctor both look shocked at the scene before them, then each other.

"Oh, that's just not fair."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They run towards where it looks the ship crashed. As they get closer, the roads become more and more clogged and congested. Finally, they see that the Army has closed down the roads to the annoyance of the drivers and most pedestrians.

"It's blocked off." The Doctor looks as if he's been given a present. In a way, he has been. This will definitely distract him from Jackie Tyler.

"We're miles from the centre. The city must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down."

"I know. I can't believe I'm here to see this. This is fantastic!"

"Did you know this was going to happen?"

"Nope."

"Do you recognise the ship?"

"Nope."

"Do you know why it crashed?"

"Nope."

"Oh, I'm so glad I've got you." Her voice is teasing and he tries to look offended but at the sight of her smile, he smiles back.

"I bet you are. This is what I travel for, Rose. To see history happening right in front of us."

"Well, let's go and see it. Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS."

"Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice."

"You'd be surprised. Emergency like this, there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me. The TARDIS stays where it is. Their eyes will be open for it since somebody had to go and get UNIT involved in her domestics." His tone is also teasing but she can feel the uneasiness wafting from him. It had been so long since he'd really dealt with UNIT. Several lifetimes and a War ago. It's not something he wants to repeat, although talking to Alistair might do him some good. It would give him the opportunity to talk to Kate as well. A trip for another time, perhaps. And in the past, so he would be sure to see Alistair.

"So history's happening and we're stuck here."

"Yes, we are."

"We could always do what everybody else does. We could watch it on TV."

He looks at her like that is both the best and worst idea she has had all day. She honestly agrees with him. She's not too keen on making an appearance at the flat again. Because now, with this, the truth will come out eventually.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor sat in one of the chairs, flipping through channels. He hated this. He was accustomed to being in the middle of the action, not sitting on the sidelines watching from the Living Room of his Rose's flat. His Rose. Not girlfriend. That word didn't sit right in his mouth. Not lover. They hadn't gone there yet. And not bond-mate. He was sure Rose had been with the part human version of him, but he'd never initiated it with her. He wanted to, though. That tipped him back towards uncertainty, though. He wasn't sure how she would react. Would it be too much?

Each news channel said basically the same thing. A UFO had crashed through Big Ben's clock tower before crashing in the Thames. He was vaguely away of Jackie and Rose and Jackie's friends as he was engrossed, trying to memorize every detail. He was determined to get to the bottom of this because something didn't seem right.

Jackie brings in tea for everyone except the Doctor. He may have been cleared by the police but she wasn't willing to forgive him for swanning of with her daughter for a year. Her face softens when she sees how Rose keeps stealing glances at him. After a moment, she sees the Doctor steal glances as well. They were both taken with one another. Her Rose had fallen for someone older than her again. As much as this man set off warning bells in her head, they had spent a year together. He obviously hadn't done the things to Rose that Jimmy did. And she really does look to be happy. Jackie sighs as she realizes she has lost her little girl.

She sighs, and touches the Doctors shoulder. He starts and looks at her, a healthy bit of unease in his face.

"Do you want tea or coffee?" He shoots Rose a confused look that she seems to return then looks back at her mum.

"Neither. Thank you for asking, though."

The tele reports that there has been a body found and the Doctor and Rose both return their attention to the screen. It seems odd to Jackie that they are so engrossed in this, but it is the most exciting thing that has happened in London in a very long time. Well, since those shop dummies when Rose disappeared. She gives them both a critical look. Did they have something to do with that?

Abruptly, the Doctor gets up and leaves the flat, Rose close behind. Jackie stares after them and shakes her head. She's not sure what's going on but they are both hiding secrets. Even with them being happy, she doesn't like that. She resolves to get to the bottom of it, somehow.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose catches up to him quickly as he heads towards the TARDIS.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Nowhere. It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top-up cards for half price. I'm off on a wander, that's all."

"Right. There's a spaceship on the Thames and you're just wandering."

"Nothing to do with me. It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of descent, color of smoke, everything. It's perfect."

"Too perfect?"

"Possibly. Or maybe this is First Contact. The day mankind officially comes in contact with an alien. I'm not interfering because you have to handle this on your own."

"You're going to look at the body, aren't you?" He stops, just outside the doors. She was deadly perceptive sometimes. And completely oblivious as well.

"Thought I might pop over and take a peak. Easier to hide the TARDIS in a closet than to park her in the middle of a street."

"But you'll be coming back, right?" The uncertainty in her voice makes him look at her. Her eyes are wide and her lips tremble slightly. He hadn't thought that his departure would have a negative effect on her. He mentally kicks himself. After last night's confession, this probably seems like abandonment to her.

He grasps the back of her head, twining his fingers through her hair and kisses her thoroughly, hoping to give her no doubt that he will be back. When he pulls back, he dangles a necklace with a key hanging from it.

"TARDIS key, just in case. Not sure where the other one ran off to, but this chain won't come off for anyone but you or me."

Rose is at a loss for words. He'd just given her a key to his home, his life. It's almost too much.

"Go, you daft man. Don't get into any trouble. I'd hate to have to come sort it." She grins up at him. It isn't quite the blinding grin she usually gave him, but it was better than the self-doubt she had been issuing before. He grins back, his own bright grin making up for the lack of hers.

"I promise I'll be on my best behavior." She snorts.

"What?"

"You're a trouble magnet. And now that you've said that, it's certain to come looking for you. Go on then. Off you go. I'm going to stay here with Mum for a while. I'm sure Micks will be around eventually and he probably needs an explanation and apology."

It is the Doctor's turn to look uncertain. He's certain she plans on staying with him, but the mention of her ex-boyfriend starts whittling doubts into his mind. She touches his cheek, making him look at her.

"Not leaving you. Go do what you need to." She gently shoves him towards the TARDIS. He spins back to her and grabs her face, startling her. He leans in and kisses her again, with a bit more force than before. It's more passionate than the kisses they have been sharing. It sends her reeling as he twines his fingers in her hair. He breaks the kiss abruptly and leans his forehead against hers.

"I'm not leaving you either. Go upstairs. Be with your mum. I'll be back before you can miss me." He lets her go and walks back to the TARDIS. She stays and watches as he disappears. She hears a noise from the alleyway and is surprised to see Mickey sprinting out, trying to catch the TARDIS before it disappears. He's yelling for the Doctor, no doubt to try and find some answer about Rose.

"Mickey!" She squeals and he turns to her, surprise and joy written across his face. She leaps into his arms, engulfing him in a hug.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Stopped in to see mum. He piloted us to the wrong date. In our times we've been gone for about a week, but here it's been a year. Mum called the cops when we showed. Then, after he was cleared of anything, Mum slapped him. He's gone to investigate the crash."

"You're not going with him?" The hope in Mickey's voice gives her pause.

"No, I owe Mum some of my time and he'll be fine on his own. Besides, I wanted to see how you were doing. We kind of left abruptly."

"Yeah, you did. You dumped me and ran off with an alien. Then, to make things a bit worse, you're gone for a year and your mum accuses me of killing you. I told her what you said, Rose. Guess what, she didn't believe me." By the end of his small speech, his voice is like venom. He's upset, Rose realizes, but more with the hurtful accusations he's had to endure this last year than the fact that she had swanned off. He was her best friend and he'd always known that, but she only really got with him because it seemed the thing to do after Jimmy.

"Look, I can see that you're happy, so I'm not going to push that. But just remember, when you're off with him. Remember those of us who you left at home."

"C'mon Mickey. Let's go back up to the flat. Mum said she wanted to talk to you. I think she might actually apologize."

She grins at him and he follows her up to the flat.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor materializes in a closet, which was amazingly what he was intending. Obviously his driving skills aren't that bad. He tries the door and finds it locked. Not much of a deterrence. He takes his sonic from his jacket pocket and unlocked the door. He bursts through. It was enough to make him slap himself. Now, he is facing a room full of Red Berets. They take a moment to react before pointing their guns at him. A scream fills the air, and the entire room turns in the direction. It was a woman's voice. A woman's scream. The Doctor snaps back to his training, both in the Time War and with UNIT. Luckily, he remembers most of the protocols for UNIT as well.

"Defense plan delta! Come on. Move! Move!"

He leads the entire room to the corridor, everyone running. His hearts are pumping double-time, now that there's a bit of adventure.

"Spread out. Tell the perimeter it's a lockdown."

They hesitate for a moment. Seconds ago, they were willing to shoot him, now they were taking orders from him? But the woman screams again.

"Do it!"

He's satisfied as he watches the soldiers doing their job. He starts heading in the direction of the screams. He enters the morgue to find a woman huddling against a wall, staring behind one of the many counters.

"I swear it was dead."

"Coma, shock, hibernation, anything. What does it look like?" She doesn't get a chance to answer because they hear a rattling of metal at the far end of the room.

"It's still here." The Doctor gestures to a soldier outside the door to come in and kneel by the woman. He creeps in the direction she points.

"Hello." He calls out tentatively. A shape runs out from behind a filing cabinet. It looks like a pig dressed in a space suit. It darts into the hallway with the Doctor right behind him.

"Don't shoot!"

Frightened by the strange creature running full tilt towards them, one shoots. Down it goes. The Doctor runs up to it and cradles the body as it dies. He looks at the man who fired the shot and glares, a peak of the storm inside.

"What did you do that for? It was scared! It was scared." His voice cracks a bit at the end.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor picks up the body. None of the soldiers offer to help. Some look ashamed, others look dignified, like they just did something grand for their country. The Doctor holds back a growl but he does manage to stare them down. Most turn away from his glare.

Back in the mortuary, the woman has set up a table to do the autopsy. The Doctor gently lays the body down. He looks at the woman and offers her a small smile.

"I'm the Doctor, by the way."

"Toshiko Sato. Call me Tosh." She doesn't delve into his name like he expects. Normally that would put him on edge, but with everything going on, he thinks she didn't hear him. He mentally shrugs. Easier that way, really. He's quiet while she works. While he has experience in the medical field, it isn't his preferred area of work. He's much better at mechanics, physics, and engineering. Once the brain is visible, he winces.

"That's…that's horrible."

"What do you mean?" Tosh seems actually interested in what he has to say so he goes into lecture mode.

"This being isn't real. I mean yes, physically, it's here. But this isn't an evolved form of anything. Someone literally took an Earth pig and enhanced it."

"I just assumed that's what aliens look like, but you're saying it's an ordinary pig from Earth."

"More like a mermaid. Victorian showmen used to draw the crowds by taking the skull of a cat, gluing it to a fish and calling it a mermaid. Now someone's taken a pig, opened up it's brain, stuck bits on, then they've strapped it in that ship and made it dive bomb. It must've been terrified. They've taken this animal and turned it into a joke."

"So it's a fake, a pretend, like the mermaid. But the technology augmenting its brain, it's like nothing on Earth. It's alien. Aliens are faking aliens. But why would they do that? Doctor?" Sometime during her speech, the Doctor had left. Tosh stands there, mouth gaping. She hadn't even heard him leave.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose leads Mickey back to her mum's flat. She can tell he's nervous and she doesn't know how to calm him down. When they had been together it was easy. Now, though, they were just friends and she was unsure. She does take his hand and give it a squeeze.

As they enter the flat, a crowd has gathered. Everything stops once they enter. Even the noise from the tele is subdued. Jackie glances at Rose, then Mickey, a touch of anxiety crossing her features. One of the ladies in the flat nudges Jackie and whispers in her ear. Jackie nods and motions for them to go into the Kitchen.

Jackie busies herself by making tea while Rose and Mickey sit at the table. They let her putter around in the Kitchen. Slowly, her anger, annoyance, and frustration calm down. After she sets the kettle on the burner, she turns to Mickey.

"You tried to tell me what had happened. Well, as much as you could. I don't think for a minute that you knew everything. But I acted like any mother would. I panicked. My baby was missing. I accused you and harassed you for months, thinking you had done something to Rose. I should've known better. I know that the only reason she got past the stuff with Jimmy was you. I was just as much a mess as her. I should've known you didn't have it in you but I was not thinking rationally. Had I been, I wouldn't have treated you like I did. I'm sorry. You've been her best friend for years. I've known you since you were three. And I should've trusted you when you told me she had swanned off with some older bloke."

The pair look at Jackie, stunned.

"I wasn't actually expecting that thorough of an apology. But thank you, Jackie. Has she told you where she's been?" Rose glares at Mickey. There's still anger on his face. She doesn't at all like where this is headed. Is he still acting like a jealous ex-boyfriend? What in the world did he hope to gain from this?

"Yeah, yeah. Why not, Rose? Huh? How could I tell her where you went?"

"Tell me now." Jackie shoots them both a glare.

"I might as well, 'cos you're stuck here. The Doctor's gone. Just now. That box thing just faded away."

"Mickey, I was out there when he disappeared. You know this. What game are you trying to play? Jealous boyfriend?"

"No, Rose, you made it clear a year ago not to wait for you. But I know what he is. I did a bit of research while you were away. Death follows him, Rose. How long until it's you?" Jackie gasps at this confession. Rose and Mickey glare at one another, completely ignoring Jackie.

"What the hell kind of things does he do where he could get you killed?!"

"Mum, no offense, I could get killed walking down the street."

"Is he even coming back, Rose? Because with his driving skills..."

Rose doesn't let him finish. She stomps out of the flat and heads towards the alley where the TARDIS was parked. Jackie and Mickey follow her.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose stops outside of the alley and just stares. He's been gone for about an hour and despite the front she's put on for Mickey and her mum, she is a bit worried. Not that he's left her, but that he's gotten into trouble. But the wind picks up, and the hears the most wonderful sound in the Universe. She hears her mum gasp as the TARDIS materializes. The Doctor steps out and she rushes to him, big grins on both their faces. He leans down and gives her a kiss. Not chaste, but not passionate either. He breaks from her quickly when he hears Jackie clearing her throat.

"I don't even know how to begin to process this. You just appeared, out of nowhere. In a police box!"

"Pretty much, yeah. Now, Rose, we were right. The crash landing was a fake. Entire set-up was fake. But it's worse than that. Weirder. The transplants in the brain were much more advanced than what could be found on Earth, which means, aliens are faking aliens."

Rose looks at him gob smacked for a moment, not sure of what to say.

"Okay."

"I took so long before I helped Tosh with the autopsy. Well, just the brain part of it. That's how I found the implants. But the body was an ordinary Earth pig. Bit sad really."

Jackie is circling the TARDIS, taking her in. The Doctor had left the door ajar when he exited and she slips inside and stops. It's beautiful, amazing, and weird. She stumbles out, almost knocking into the Doctor and Rose in the process. He looks down at her, eyebrow raised.

"I…I can't do this right now." She darts off, back to the flat.

"That, actually went better than I thought." Rose stares at her mum's retreating form and shakes her head.

"What about you, Ricky? I can tell Rose is upset. What did you say to her?" His voice has dropped to dangerous levels as he glares at the man.

"My name is Mickey, not Ricky."

"No, definitely Ricky."

"I think I would know my own name!"

"Shows what you know."

"Let's just, figure out what's going on here, alright?" Rose looks pleadingly between Mickey and the Doctor.

"Well, I know that this was a set-up. Aliens augmented a pig's brain, stuck it in a suit, strapped it in, and crashed the ship."

"So, it was all a fake? What are they doing, invading?"

"Isn't it a bit weird, though, to put the world on red alert before an invasion? Because that's exactly what has happened."

"That's, actually, a very good point, Ricky." He begins typing on the keyboard again, muttering to himself. Mickey pulls Rose aside for a moment while the Doctor seems lost in his work. But the Doctor is listening, just in case the conversation gets out of hand.

"I looked on every street corner for a year for this blue box."

"I'm sorry, Mickey. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"I know babe. And I'm sorry for the things I said earlier. You're right, I'm just actin' like a jealous boyfriend. But you told me to go, to move on and I didn't. Couldn't really, with your mum out spreading nasty rumors. I just, I held on because I thought you would change your mind but seeing you today, I realize that won't happen."

"Thank you, Mickey. I'm happy. Happier than I've been in years. My time with you was nice but this, this is great. He's great. He'd never intentionally let anything happen to me. And believe it or not, I can hold my own." She smiles up at him and gives him a hug. The Doctor smiles to himself. Things between them will be okay, and Mickey the Idiot will move on with his life. Rose has her best friend back, and the Doctor doesn't have to worry about competition. Well, much.

The make their way back to him at the console.

"So, what're you doing over there?"

"Ricky."

"Mickey."

"Ricky. If I was to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?"

"I suppose not."

" Well, shut it, then." He turns back to the screen, finishing what he was doing. The local radars will have hopefully traced its flight pattern.

"Some friend you've got."

"He's winding you up. I am sorry."

"Got it! Ha, ha! Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can follow the flight of that spaceship. Here we go. Hold on. Come on." They all look at the trajectory on the monitor.

"That's the spaceship on its way to Earth, see? Except. Hold on. See? The spaceship did a sling shot round the Earth before it landed."

"What does that mean?"

"It means it came from Earth in the first place. It went up and came back down. Whoever those aliens are, they haven't just arrived, they've been here for a while. The question is what have they been doing?" The Doctor begins pacing, trying to think. Mickey starts fiddling with the scanner, going through the channels. Rose rolls her eyes, knowing what Mickey is looking for. Trust him to try and find football on the tele when there is a possible alien invasion going on.

"How many channels do you get?"

"All the basic packages."

"You get sports channels?" Mickey stops on a news channel and it grabs the Doctor's attention.

"Yes, I get the football. Hold on, I know that lot."

"It is looking likely that the Government's bringing in alien specialists - those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space."

"UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Good people." He smiles at the monitor, a bit of pride in his stance.

"How do you know them?"

"'Cos he's worked for them. Oh yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet or in the history books, and there's his name, followed by a list of the dead."

"That's nice. Good boy, Ricky."

"If you know them, why don't you go and help?"

"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover. And er, I'd better keep the TARDIS out of sight. Ricky, you've got a car. You can do some driving."

"Where to?"

"The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship."

They step out of the TARDIS, the Doctor locking it behind him. Jackie is standing there, hands on her hips, glaring at the TARDIS and the Doctor.

Suddenly, they are engulfed in a bright spotlight from a helicopter. Mickey staggers away, not wanting to be caught up in the commotion that is the Doctor. Soldiers appear and grab Jackie, who shrieks. The Doctor and Rose both raise their hands, grinning wildly.

"Take me to your leader!"

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor and Rose find themselves in the back of a police car. The Doctor is excited, almost bouncing in his seat. Rose is looking out the window as London passes them by.

"This is a bit posh. If I knew it was going to be like this, being arrested, I would have done it years ago."

"We're not being arrested, we're being escorted."

"Where to?"

"Where'd you think? Downing Street."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"10 Downing Street?"

"That's the one."

"Oh, my God. I'm going to 10 Downing Street? How come?"

"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, er, noticed. Plus, someone got UNIT involved in her domestics earlier, so they pretty much knew I was here. They probably talked to the police station to see were that officer phones from. Hence, why they were waiting in the bushes."

"Now they need you?"

"Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?"

"Patrick Moore?"

"Apart from him."

"Oh, don't you just love it."

"I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table. Who's the Prime Minister now?"

"How should I know? I missed a year."

They pull up to a curb, apparently at their destination. Someone opens their door and ushers them to get out. All around, the media is taping and taking pictures. When the Doctor exits the vehicle, he grins widely for the cameras.

"Playing this up a bit, aren't you?"

"I've been pictured at quite a few disasters throughout history with several different faces. Might as well pose for the camera while I'm here. Besides, gives me a chance to scan the crowds."

"Find anyone you recognize?"

"No. Hopefully they are all inside."

They enter the building and Rose is taken aback by the activity. People are bustling everywhere. The Doctor recognizes a couple of people but mostly, these are younger, well after he left UNIT. He's a bit disappointed.

His musing is stopped when a young man calls for everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times." He hands one to the Doctor, who clips it on.

"Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companion doesn't have clearance."

"I don't go anywhere without her."

"You're the code nine, not her. I'm sorry, Doctor. It is the Doctor, isn't it? She'll have to stay outside."

"She's staying with me."

"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let her in and that's a fact."

"It's all right. You go. I'll stay out here and mingle."

"Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?"

"Sure."

"Not now. We're busy. Can't you go home?" The man is continually pushing the woman off, like she is an annoyance. The Doctor is mildly concerned but for now he wants to get to the bottom of his hoax.

"Rose, don't get into any trouble." He kisses her forehead before walking into the briefing room to stand in the back. The man turns back to Rose and Harriet.

"You haven't got clearance. Now leave it. I'm going to have to leave you with security."

"It's all right. I'll look after her. Let me be of some use. Walk with me." Once they are out of sight from everyone, she introduces herself.

"That's right. Don't look round. Harriet Jones, MP Flydale North. This friend of yours, he's an expert, is that right? He knows about aliens?"

"Why do you want to know?" To Rose's surprise, Harriet starts crying. Rose puts an arm around the woman to comfort her. They have made it to the conference room. Harriet composes herself and leads Rose to a closet to the right of where they entered.

"They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!"

"It's all right. I believe you. It's, it's alien. They must have some serious technology behind this. If we could find it, we could use it."

Rose starts searching the room. She opens a different cupboard and a man's body falls out. Rose squeaks in surprise and Harriet rushes over. Both stand there, gasping, shocked at the body on the floor.

"Oh, my God! Is that the…" Before she can finish, the man from earlier entered the room. He glares at Harriet as he walks over.

"Harriet, for God's sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander. Oh, my God. That's the Prime Minister!"

"That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!"

"And who told you that, hmm? Me." A rather large woman enters the room, crooning at them. She reaches up to her hairline to grasp the large zipper. As she unzips, they hear something that almost sounds electrical. Her forehead emits a bright blue light. Instinctively, they put their hands up to stop the glare. Rose's mind is racing, trying to figure out what to do. What would the Doctor do?

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor stands in the back of the briefing room, listening to the chatter of everyone else. At the front of the room, a hammer is brought down, bringing the room to some semblance of order.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention, please. As you can see from the summaries in front of you, the ship had one porcine occupant."

"Of course, the really interesting bit happened three days ago, see, filed away under Any Other Business. The North Sea. A satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation, at one hundred fathoms, like there's something down there. You were just about to investigate and the next thing you know, this happens. Spaceships, pigs, massive diversion. From what? If aliens fake an alien crash and an alien pilot, what do they get? Us. They get us. It's not a diversion, it's a trap." His eyes fall on the man speaking, glaring. He starts forward.

"This is all about us. Alien experts. The only people with knowledge how to fight them gathered together in one room." Another of the men at the front farts, and the Doctor switches his glare to him.

"Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?"

"Would you rather silent but deadly?" The first man, the General, places his hands near his hairline. The Doctor can hear a zipper and the sound of electricity sparking. A tall green alien steps from the suit. Large black eyes adorn the baby-like face.

"We are the Slitheen." The voice of the alien is raspy. The Doctor realizes it comes from the big metal collar around its neck. A translation device.

"Thank you all for wearing your ID cards. They'll help to identify the bodies." He holds up a remote activation switch, and the ID cards emit electric shocks to their wearers, including the Doctor. A brief thought crosses his mind: If he's in here, how is Rose faring?

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_And there you go! World War Three will be up in about a week!_


	10. World War Three

_I do not own Doctor Who._

_So, how did I do with the last chapter? Anyways, here's WW3!_

_Laikayanel brought up some good points in her review. The biggest, in my opinion, being where I said "He went away" talking about Jimmy Stone. Where I'm from, that means jail, usually. I didn't make that clear, apparently but no, Jimmy Stone didn't escape justice at all. I'll delve into that in a later chapter, once Rose decides to open up a bit more. And, this is a deviation from canon in my mind, a change that this new Rose went through and not the old one. The reasons for that will also be explained later. Just know that this is for my own Universe and not the canon Universe. I don't think anything quite that bad actually happened to Rose in canon._

_Also, any mentions of Rose thinking Mickey and/or Jackie are overbearing or overprotective stem from the Wolf, not this younger Rose. Usually I follow those thoughts with something like _"where did that thought come from_". Yes, younger Rose is aware of the changes being made to her, on some level. She doesn't completely understand everything, but then neither does the Doctor. He's along for the ride as well._

**World War 3**

Rose, Harriet, and the man cower from the bright light being emitted from the body. A tall green alien steps from the body-suit. Quicker than they can think, the alien grabs the man by the throat. It slams the man into the wall and he falls limply to the floor. The alien turns towards Rose and Harriet.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor is standing in the middle of the Briefing Room, electricity racing through his body. Everyone else in the room is dead. But the Doctor is still standing, although barely. His second heart is the only thing keeping him upright. He rips off his ID card. He slow, painfully, makes his way up to the Slitheen, who is laughing at him. They expect him to fall at any moment.

"Deadly to humans, maybe."

The Doctor presses the ID card against the collar around the Slitheen's neck. Immediately, it begins to convulse. The man beside him also start to convulse, confirming the Doctor's suspicious. Before they can get their wits again, he runs from the room in search of Rose. Hopefully, she is faring better than he.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Mickey enters Jackie's flat to hear her screaming from the Kitchen. When he gets in there, Jackie is crouched in a corner, cowering from a large, green alien. The alien seems to be engulfed in some sort of electricity. Mickey takes out his phone and snaps a picture before he grabs Jackie's hand and drags her from the flat.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The alien starts convulsion, electricity racing through it from the collar. Rose takes advantage of the distraction. She grabs Harriet's hand and they run from the room.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor runs to the Entrance Hall where he remembers most of the police are gathered.

"Oi! If you want aliens, you've got them. They're inside Downing Street. Come on!" The armed police follow him.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

As Rose drags Harriet through the halls, she tries to break away.

"No, wait. They're still in there. The emergency protocols. We need them." Before she can get the sentence completely out, they hear crashing from behind them. The alien is crashing through doors, coming after them. Rose drags Harriet further down the corridor.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor is leading the police back to the Briefing Room. Once there, he finds both back in their disguises, no longer with electricity pulsing through them.

"Where have you been? I called for help. I sounded the alarm. There was this lightening, this kind of, er, electricity, and they all collapsed."

The policemen check the bodies. Sure enough, all are dead.

"I think they're all dead."

"That's what I'm saying. He did it! That man there." The man in the suit points towards the Doctor.

"I think you will find the acting Prime Minister is an alien in disguise. The Doctor looks sheepishly to the policemen.

That's never going to work, is it?"

"No."

"Fair enough." The Doctor runs, the police and the Slitheen close behind. In the corridor, he finds himself trapped between two sets of policemen, all with weapons drawn. Glancing around he sees the lift and backs slowly to it.

"Under the jurisdiction of the Emergency Protocols, I authorize you to execute this man." All weapons raise, pointing at the Doctor.

"Well, now, yes, you see, er, the thing is, if I was you, if I was going to execute someone by backing them against the wall, between you and me, little word of advice." The lift dings and opens behind the Doctor.

"Don't stand them against the lift!" He gets in the lift and presses the button for floor two. He glares at the ceiling of the lift, trying to fry the circuits with his gaze so the horrible elevator music will stop. The lift doors open and a Slitheen is there. He grins widely at the Slitheen and waves.

"Hello! " He presses the button to close the doors again. As they close, he sees Rose and Harriet slip past the Slitheen, hopefully unseen. The Doctor waits for a few minutes before opening the doors again and exiting. He runs to the stairwell to hide. Any minute, the Slitheen will have the police rallied together to hunt them. Better they were all together to make it out alive. Or so he tells himself.

The lift makes its way back to the first floor to the waiting Slitheen. 

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose and Harriet enter another room. In it are several places to hide including a large settee, a large drinks cabinet, and a folding screen by the window to keep out the droughts.

"Hide!"

Rose hides behind the cabinet, Harriet behind the screen. The Slitheen that had been chasing them enters the room slowly, seeming to hunt for the women.

"Oh, such fun. Little human children, where are you? Sweet little humeykins, come to me. Let me kiss you better. Kiss you with my big, green lips." The Slitheen's voice makes Rose's skin crawl. She watches the alien. As soon as her back is turned, Rose darts behind a curtain. More footsteps enter the room, slow and calculating. Not the cavalry in for a rescue.

"My brothers."

"Happy hunting?"

"It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink."

"Sweat and fear."

"I can smell an old girl. Stale bird and brittle bones."

"And a ripe youngster, all hormones and adrenalin. Fresh enough to bend before she snaps." The Slitheen pulls back the curtain. Rose screams.

"No! Take me first! Take me!" Harriet bursts from her hiding place long enough to distract the Slitheen. The Doctor bursts in with a fire extinguisher. He sprays the male Slitheen with CO2.

"Out, with me!" Rose pulls the curtain down over the Slitheen closest to her. Both Rose and Harriet run towards the Doctor, who is still spraying the extinguisher at the two Slitheen while the other wrestles with the curtain.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North." She holds her name ID badge up by her face for him to see. Rose snickers. It must be an instinctive quirk of hers.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." The Doctor uses up the CO2 and they run out.

"We need to head to the Cabinet Room."

"The Emergency Protocols are in there. They give instructions for aliens."

"Harriet Jones, I like you."

"And I like you too." Behind them, they can hear the Slitheen chasing after them. Apparently, the Doctor's distraction only lasted for a short time. However, all three breathe a sigh of relief when they enter the Cabinet Room. Harriet immediately rushes over to grab the protocols from the Conference table. The Doctor grabs a decanter from a side table by the door and stands in the doorway as the Slitheen rush towards him. On the outside, he is calm, if a bit manic. On the inside, his emotions are a mixture of rage and fear. Rage that Rose was being threatened, and fear that something might happen to her. He couldn't bear that. Even though he knew her body was going through changes, making her more than human, right now she was still human and could still be hurt. He takes a deep breath and plasters a wide smile on his face.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof, we all go up. So back off." The threat in his voice is real, even though he is bluffing. The Slitheen, natural hunters, recognize the threat for what it is, and take a step back.

"Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens." Harriet says this matter-of-factly, with only a smidgen of fear in her voice. The Doctor, however, cannot help but give her a sarcastic answer in return.

"Yes. I got that, thanks."

"Who are you, if not human?" The Slitheen looks pointedly at the Doctor. Harriet looks between the two groups, confused and a bit frightened. Finally, she speaks.

"Who's not human?"

"He's not human." Rose points to the Doctor, a small smile on her lips.

"He's not human?" Harriet looks at him critically, disbelief on her face. _He looks human enough._

"Can I have a bit of hush?" Harriet looks chastised. This is a whole new world for her. All of a sudden, her life has been made topsy-turvy.

"Sorry."

"So, what's the plan?" The Doctor is addressing the Slitheen again, manic grin back on his face.

"But he's got a Northern accent." Harriet stage whispers to Rose.

"Lots of planets have a north." Rose answers her matter-of-factly, having already had this argument with him in her own moment of disbelief.

"I said hush. Come on. You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government. What for, invasion?"

"Why would we invade this God-forsaken rock?" One of the Slitheen from the back, not the softer sounding one in front. He guesses the one in front of him was female? Possibly?

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here. What is it?" He was fishing for answers, his bluff falling with each second that passes. So long as it holds until he gets some answers.

"The Slitheen race?" This Slitheen scoffs at the suggestion. The other male, he guesses, clarifies.

"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer-Day-Slitheen at your service."

"So, you're family."

"A family business."

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a God-forsaken rock?"

"Ah, excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability?" _Ah, so the end of the line for his bluff. _

"Is that what I said?"

"You're making it up." _Caught._

"Ah, well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it." He tries passing the decanter to Harriet who is clutching the Red Box close to her chest.

"You pass it to the left first."

"Sorry." He passes the decanter across his body and to Rose, who grabs it from him.

"Thanks."

"Now we can end this hunt with a slaughter." Rose glances at the Doctor, eyebrows raised.

"Don't you think we should run?"

"Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mister Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the Cabinet Room. If the Cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain. End of lesson." The Doctor lifts a small panel by the door and presses a button. Metal shutters crash shut across the windows and doors. He turns to Harriet and Rose, smug smile on his face.

"Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. They'll never get in."

"And how do we get out?" His smile drops a little. He hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Ah."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Outside the Conference room, the Slitheen are chuckling to themselves.

"He's safely contained. Now, cut off communications inside that room, then summon the family. It's time we finished with this insane planet for good."

The news casts are still outside Downing Street, trying to give the public some semblance of news. The entire world is on alert, eyes on London. Downstairs, the three Slitheen chasing the Doctor have reappeared, back in their suits. They are directing the new arrivals to the upper levels to begin the final stages of their plan.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Mickey and Jackie run into Mickey's apartment. Mickey hands Jackie a glass of water. She looks at the glass disdainfully.

"Got anything stronger?"

"No chance. I've seen you when you've had a few. This ain't time for a conga."

"We've got to tell someone."

"Who do we trust? For all we know, they've all got big bog monsters inside of them. I mean, this is what he does, Jacks, that Doctor bloke. Everywhere he goes, death and destruction, and he's got Rose in the middle of it."

"I saw him with Rose, Mickey. I don't think he would purposefully put her in danger."

"Maybe not, Jackie, but death still follows him. But whether I like it or not, he's the only person who knows how to fight these things."

"I thought I was going to die." Jackie starts crying. Mickey gives her a quick hug.

"Come on, yeah? If anyone's going to cry, it's going to be me. Now, you're safe in my flat, Jacks. No one's going to look for you here, especially since you hate me so much."

"You saved my life. God, that's embarrassing."

"You're telling me."

"He wanted me dead. And he's still out there, Mickey. That policeman. That thing." Mickey looks at Jackie, and fear is evident in both their faces. Mickey has a strange, yet brilliant idea. He knows Rose is with the Doctor. And he just so happened to snap a photo of the alien in Jackie's apartment before he grabbed her. So, he sends the picture to her, hoping it actually reaches her, wherever the Doctor has taken her this time.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor drags the man's body into a small store room, where the late Prime Minister is also laid out.

"What was his name?"

"Who?"

"This one. The secretary or whatever he was called."

"I don't know. I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name." Harriet seemed distraught over this realization. _Right. Time to change subjects._

"Sorry. Right, what have we got? Any terminals, anything?"

"No. This place is antique. What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

"He's too slim. They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans."

"But the Slitheen are about eight feet. How do they fit inside?"

"That's the device around their necks. Compression field. I thought it was a translator at first. Might still work as that but it's primary function is to shrink them. Literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange."

"Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller." Harriet snaps her eyes up at Rose, and her eyes harden a bit.

"Excuse me, people are dead! This is not the time for making jokes."

"Sorry. You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him."

"Well, that's a strange friendship." Rose shrugs. Harriet didn't know the half of their strange friendship.

"Harriet Jones. I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?"

"Oh, hardly."

"Rings a bell. Harriet Jones?"

"Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now. The Protocols are redundant. They list the people who could help and they're all dead downstairs."

"Hasn't it got, like, defense codes and things? Couldn't we just launch a nuclear bomb at them?"

"You're a very violent young woman."

"No offense, ma'am, but I don't think telling them to leave politely is going to get the job done." Harriet looks at Rose critically. She admits, it's a wise statement. She just doesn't like it one bit. The Doctor has stopped and is also looking at Rose. She raises her eyes to his. Just a few flecks of gold. Her lips quirk up when she sees that he has noticed.

"Well, there's nothing like that in here. Nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations."

"Say that again."

"What, about the codes?"

"Anything. All of it."

"Well, the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a Special Resolution from the UN."

"Like that's ever stopped them."

"Exactly, given our past record. And I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN. Is it important?"

"Everything's important."

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me. I'm saying Slitheen as if it's normal."

"What do they want, though?"

"Well, they're just one family, so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen World They're out to make money. That means they want to use something. Something here on Earth. Some kind of asset."

"Like what, gold? Oil? Water?"

"You're very good at this."

"Thank you."

"Harriet Jones. Why do I know that name?" The Doctor is muttering to himself with Harriet and Rose both watching. Rose jumps and the Doctor looks up at her.

"Oh, that's me." She pats around, trying to find her phone.

"But we're sealed off. How did you get a signal?"

"He zapped it. Super phone."

"Then we can phone for help. You must have contacts."

"Dead downstairs, yeah." A shadow crosses over the Doctor's eyes. Rose is looking down at her phone, eye brows scrunched together.

"It's Mickey."

"Oh, tell him we're busy."

"Yeah, might wanna take a look at this." Mickey has sent them a photo of a Slitheen. A Slitheen in her mum's flat. Her eyes go wide and fear shoots through her. She dials Mickey's number.

"_No, no, no, no, no. Not just alien, but like, proper alien. All stinking, and wet, and disgusting. Not like your Doctor. And more to the point, it wanted to kill us!"_

_"I could've died!" _ Rose hears her mum in the background. The fear dissipates a little with the knowledge that her mum is currently unharmed.

"Is she all right, though? Don't put her on, just tell me." The Doctor takes Rose's phone before Mickey can answer her. She glares at the Doctor and he glares right back. An idea is forming in his head.

"Is that Ricky? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer."

"_It's Mickey, and why should I?"_

"Mickey the Idiot, I might just choke, before I finish this sentence, but, er, I need you."

"_Oh really? Mr. High and Mighty needs poor ole Mickey the Idiot? Why should I help you?"_

"Because if you don't, it will costs not only mine and Rose's lives, but possibly the World's." The Doctor can hear the cogs turning in Mickey's head.

"_Where do you needs me to go, boss?" _ The Doctor grins widely and Rose automatically grins with him. He tells Mickey the site and waits.

"_It says password." _ The Doctor plugs the mobile phone into the conference phone speaker.

"Say again?"

"_It's asking for the password."  
_  
"Buffalo. Two Fs, one L."  
"_So, what's that website?"_

_"All the secret information known to mankind. See, they've known about aliens for years. They just kept us in the dark." _

"Mickey, you were born in the dark."

"Oh, leave him alone." Rose glances at the Doctor, a slight threat in her gaze. He gives her a soft smile and nod.

"_Thank you. Password again." _

"Just repeat it every time." The Doctor turns towards Harriet and Rose, arms crossed.

"Big Ben - why did the Slitheen go and hit Big Ben?"

"You said to gather the experts, to kill them."

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon. You don't need to crash land in the middle of London."

"The Slitheen are hiding, but then they put the entire planet on Red alert. What would they do that for?"

"_Oh, listen to her." _Sarcasm drips from Jackie's voice at Rose. The small look of hurt that crosses her face is noticed by the Doctor. Jackie is grating on the last strings of his resolve again. Rose's too, by the looks of it.

"At least I'm trying."

"_Well, I've got a question, if you don't mind. Since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter disappear off the face of the Earth."  
_  
"I told you what happened. At least what I felt I could at the time."

"_I'm talking to him. 'Cos I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, and maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this. Is my daughter safe?" _

"I'm fine." Rose snaps at her mum, but Jackie ignores her.

"_Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that?" _Silence follows her questions. The Doctor looks stricken. No, right now, he can't promise her safety. Right now, she's still just frail little ape. She looks at him, determination clear on her face and shakes her head as if to say _'Don't answer. Now's not the time.'_

"_Well, what's the answer?" _They are saved by Mickey, who has taken the phone back._  
_  
_"We're in."_ The Doctor shakes himself from his brooding. No use in going too far down that road.

"Now then, on the left at the top, there's a tab, an icon. Little concentric circles. Click on that."

_"What is it?" _

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it's saying." Silence follows. The Doctor's eyes unfocus as he listens to the signal.

"It's some sort of message." His voice is barely above a whisper.

"What's it say?"

"Don't know. It's on a loop, keeps repeating."

"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?" His eyebrows crinkle together as he continues to concentrate, completely entranced by the signal. He doesn't hear the noises from the phone. Doesn't hear Jackie leave to get the door. Had he, he would have warned her. Mickey's panicked voice is what grabs him back from the edge.

_"They've found us." _

"Mickey, I need that signal."

"Never mind the signal, get out! Mum!"

_"We can't. It's by the front door."_ Mickey's voice broken and sad. Rose aches for him, her best friend. She knew, without a doubt, that he would die to protect her mum, even though she had been exceptionally cruel to him the last year. Mickey was a good bloke.

_"Oh, my God, it's unmasking. It's going to kill us." _

"There's got to be some way of stopping them! You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!" Harriet was in hysterics herself, now. Many lives had already been lost to the Slitheen. She didn't wish two more, especially not if they were close to the Doctor and Rose.

"I'm trying!"

"_I'll take it on, Jackie. You just run. Don't look back. Just run." _They hear the front door splintering. Rose looks at the Doctor, pleading in her eyes. Bare traces of gold tint them. He wonders briefly if they are now permanent.

"That's my mother." Her eyes look pointedly into his. He snaps back into himself, all thoughts other thoughts melt away at the look in her eyes. He gives her a barely perceptible nod before hunching over the table, staring at the phone.

"Right, If we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from. Which planet. So, judging by their basic shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within traveling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!"

"They're green."

"Yep, narrows it down."

"Good sense of smell." Rose taps her nose as she says this.

"Narrows it down."

"They can smell adrenalin."

"Narrows it down."

"The pig technology." Rose points at her, impressed. Those details must've been in the reports somewhere.

"Narrows it down."

"The spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream engine?"

"Narrows it down." They hear commotion from the phone, then Mickey's voice.

"_It's getting in!" _

"They hunt like it's a ritual."

"Narrows it down."

"Wait a minute. Did you notice? When they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't just smell like a fart, if you'll pardon the word, it's something else. What is it? It's more like, er..."

"Bad breath!" Rose waves her hand in front of her face and scrunches her nose to emphasize the smell.

"That's it!" They both point at the other.

"Calcium decay! Now, that narrows it down!" Excitement is on the Doctor's face now as well.

"We're getting there, Mum!"

"_Too late!" _ Rose's face falls slightly at Mickey's words. She looks up at the Doctor who has started rambling off the qualities of the Slitheen.

"Calcium phosphate. Organic calcium. Living calcium. Creatures made out of living calcium. What else? What else? Hyphenated surname. Yes! That narrows it down to one planet. Raxacoricofallapatorius!"

"_Oh, yeah, great. We could write 'em a letter." _ They hear the door break apart in Mickey's flat.

"Get into the kitchen!"

"_My God, it's going to rip us apart!" _

"Calcium, weakened by the compression field. Acetic acid. Vinegar!"

"Just like Hannibal!"

"Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"

"_How should I know?" _

"It's your kitchen." The Doctor scolds Mickey.

"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf." Rose tries to direct Mickey. She hears her mum take the phone.

"_Oh, give it here. What do you need?"_

"Anything with vinegar!"

"Gherkins. Yeah, pickled onions. Pickled eggs."

"And you kissed this man?" The disgust on the Doctor's face is evident. Rose has the grace to look mildly embarrassed. They hear the Slitheen break in to the Kitchen. And silence after they hear Jackie throw the concoction. A shriek from both Jackie and Mickey and cheers. Rose smiles broadly at the Doctor.

"Hannibal?"

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar." Harriet supplies the answer.

"Oh. Well, there you go then." They all toast the moment with a glass of port from the decanter. The Doctor is sitting back, lost in his thoughts. He's figured out their race. Now, he needs to figure out what they are doing here. 

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

It doesn't take long before the Slitheen make their intentions known. A broadcast, shortly after Mickey destroyed the one, is sent around the world. The acting Prime Minister is claiming that there are spaceships poised above the Earth, readying to strike. He pleads with the World to give him control of the nuclear weapons of the world in retaliation.

"He's making it up. There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it."

"Do you think they'll believe him?"

"They did last time." Understanding lights the Doctor's face.

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot, you get scared, you lash out."

"They release the defence code..." The Doctor finishes Rose's sentence for her.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear." Harriet looks between the two of them, confused.

"But why?" The Doctor gets up and opens the metal shutters. Outside is the woman who was chasing Rose and Harriet.

"You get the codes, release the missiles, but not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth. They retaliate, fight back. World War Three. Whole planet gets nuked."

"And we can sit through it safe in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed, just parked. Only two minutes away." Her face is smug.

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?" Harriet looks at the woman, horrified. The Doctor doesn't let the Slitheen answer. He answers for her.

"Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space. An advert."

"The sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag, then sell it piece by piece. Radioactive chucks, capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel."

"At the cost of five billion lives."

"Bargain." She sneers at him.  
"I give you a choice. Leave this planet or I'll stop you."

"What, you? Trapped in your box?"

"Yes. Me." The Doctor closes the shutters on the Slitheen's laughing face, and she starts to worry. He has a wild, manic look in his eyes that makes the Slitheen flinch.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They spend the rest of the night in the Cabinet Room. Harriet manages to find them all something to bundle up with. Apparently, they kept the room stocked just in case something like this happened. Rose curls up into the Doctor's side and attempts to sleep. He lays there and holds her, worrying about the day to come. He knows how to stop this. He's always known. But she's still human, still fragile and he can't stand to let her go. He lays there, holding her, and waging an internal battle as to how he can end this and they come out unscathed at the end. For once, he doesn't know what to do.

At the break of dawn, the Doctor wakes them. Rose and Harriet clean the area up. Shortly after, her mum calls.

"_All right, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do." _

"If we could ferment the port, we could make acetic acid." Harriet is grasping for ideas now.

"Mickey, any luck?"

"_There's loads of emergency numbers. They're all on voice mail."  
_  
"Voice mail dooms us all."

"If we could just get out of here."

"There's a way out." The Doctor looks at Rose. His voice barely above a whisper. She's moved closer to him, almost within touching distance.

"What?"

"There's always been a way out."

"Then why don't we use it?" The Doctor looks from Rose to the phone.

"Because I can't guarantee your daughter will be safe."

"_Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare."  
_  
"That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies."

"Do it." The Doctor's eyes snap back to Rose.

"You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me?"

"Yeah."

"_Please Doctor. Please. She's my daughter. She's just a kid." _ The Doctor turns his gaze back to the phone.

"Do you think I don't know that? Because this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will."

"Then what're you waiting for?" Rose asks him softly, grabbing his hand.

"I could save the world but lose you." The Doctor touches her face gently. Harriet looks between the two and seemingly makes a decision.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine."

"_And who the hell are you?" _

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people for the people. And on behalf of the people, I command you. Do it."

"How do we get out?"

"We don't. We stay here." The Doctor gets the Emergency Protocols from the Red Box and starts flipping through them.

"Use the buffalo password. It overrides everything."

"_Mickey, what're you doing?"  
_  
"_Hacking into the Royal Navy. We're in. Here it is. HMS Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine, ten miles off the coast of Plymouth."  
_  
"Right, we need to select a missile."

"_We can't go nuclear. We don't have the defense codes." _

"We don't need it. All we need's an ordinary missile. What's the first category?"

"_Sub Harpoon, UGM-A4A." _

"That's the one. Select."

"_I could stop you."_

"Do it, then, Jackie."  
  
"You ready for this?"

"_Yeah." _

"Mickey the idiot, the world is in your hands. Fire."

"_Oh, my God." _

"How solid are these?" Harriet is pointing towards the windows and walls.

"Not solid enough. Built for short range attack, nothing this big."

"All right, now I'm making the decision. I'm not going to die. We're going to ride this one out. It's like what they say about earthquakes. You can survive them by standing under a doorframe. Now, this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me. Come on." Harriet helps her to clean out the cupboard, making room for the three of them.

"_It's on radar."  
_  
"_Counter defense five five six."  
_  
"Stop them intercepting it."

"_I'm doing it now."  
_  
"Good boy."

"_Five five six neutralized." _The Doctor unplugs the phone and heads towards the cabinet with Rose and Harriet. He holds Rose close. She looks up at him and kisses the side of his mouth.

"Here we go. Nice knowing you both. Hannibal!"

The cupboard shakes then rolls through the remains of the building. The three of them are thrown against the walls. The Doctor protects Rose the best that he had. As suddenly as it started, it stops. The Doctor takes a deep breath and looks down at Rose. She's grinning up at him. He can't help himself and bends down, kissing her quickly. The Doctor pushes the steel door off and Harriet steps out.

"Made in Britain." A policeman happens to see them as they step from the room.

"Oh, my God. Are you all right?"

"Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact UN immediately. Tell the ambassadors the crisis is over. They can step down. Go on, tell the news."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, Lord. We haven't even got a Prime Minister."

"Maybe you should have a go." He grins at Harriet. He finally remembers where he knows her from.

"Me? Huh. I'm only a back-bencher."

"I'd vote for you." Rose interjects, looking at Harriet.

"Now, don't be silly. Look, I'd better go and see if I can help. Hang on!" Harriet make her way down the pile of rubble. "We're safe! The Earth is safe!"

"I thought I knew the name. Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms. The architect of Britain's Golden Age." He looks at Rose and they both smile.

"The crisis has passed! Ladies and gentlemen, I have something to say to you all here today! Mankind stands tall, proud and undefeated. God bless the human race."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor and Rose procure a ride and head back to Jackie's flat. The Doctor is hesitant to go inside.

"Go on, to the TARDIS. Make sure everything's alright with her. Let me smooth things over with mum but we do all still need to talk."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just trying to debate how many more slaps from her I can take before I regenerate." He mumbles the last bit to himself. He watches as Rose heads back up to the flat.

When Rose enters the flat, she sees Harriet on the tele, giving a speech.

"Harriet Jones. Who does she think she is? Look at her, taking all the credit. Should be you on there. My daughter saved the world!"

"I think the Doctor helped a bit."

"All right, then. Him too. You should be given knighthoods."

"That's not the way he does things. No fuss. He just moves on. He's not that bad if you gave him a chance."

"He's good in a crisis, I'll give him that."

"Oh, now the world has changed. You're saying nice things about him."

"Well, I reckon I've got no choice. There's no getting rid of him since you're infatuated."

"I'm not infatuated." Jackie looks at her and shakes her head. _No, probably not infatuated. She looks completely in love._

"What does he eat?"

"How do you mean?"

"I was going to do shepherds pie. All of us. A proper sit down, 'cos I'm ready to listen. I wanna learn about you and him and that life you lead. Only, I don't know, he's an alien. For all I know, he eats grass and safety pins and things."

"He'll have shepherd pie. You're going to cook for him?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"He's finally met his match."

"You're not too old for a slap, you know. You can go and visit your Gran tomorrow. You'd better learn some French. I told her you were in France. I said you were au-pairing." Rose's phone rings. The caller ID says 'TARDIS calling'.

"Hello?"

"_Right, I'll be a couple of hours, then we can go." _

"Nuh uh, mister. You've staying for Dinner and we're all talking. You promised."

"_Like I said, couple of hours. I've just got to send out this dispersal. There you go. That's canceling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up." _

"Er, my mother's cooking."

"_Good. Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer." _Rose snickers. She can almost hear the smirk on his face through the phone.

"She's cooking tea. For us."

"_A couple of hours, Rose. Then I'll be there. I promised, didn't I?" _

"She wants to get to know you."

"_Oh, great. What did I get myself into? Before this all started, she hated me. Why the change of heart?" _

"Might have something to do with how she's seen you act with me. Mum's observant. Jumps to conclusions at times but she can see through most things. Told me I was infatuated with you."

"_Just infatuated?" _She's not sure but she thinks he sounds a slight bit uncertain.

"Shut up. Go on, do what you need to. I'll get me a few clothes packed while you're gone. But you better not be late, mister!"

"_Not actua__lly leaving, love. Just got to do a few things. If it goes over a couple of hours, come out here and get me. You know how I can get."_

"Promise you won't leave?"

"_Promise."_

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_Hope y'all enjoyed. The next chapter will be a mini chapter. The dreaded 'talk' with Jackie and Mickey. Yes, both of them. Hopefully it will clear the air a bit with some things._

_How did I do with this bit of change?_


	11. Tea with Jackie

_I do not own Doctor Who_

**Tea with Jackie**

To say that the Doctor is nervous is an understatement. He didn't need two hours to do the things that needed to be done to clean up the Slitheen mess. No, he needed the time to put his thoughts together before confronting one Jackie Tyler. He shivers. Had he met Rose Tyler as he was supposed to, he probably would have skipped out on these domestics. But as it were, he would do anything for this amazing woman who had saved his life and soul. He owed her his everything and if that meant struggling through the domestics, so be it.

Despite this, he is still dragging his feet. He's done all he can to the inside of the TARDIS, though, so now he's circling the outside. There, spray painted on the side, are the words _'Bad Wolf'_. It had started. How long did they have before that fated day?

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He is standing outside the TARDIS, staring at the words _'Bad Wolf'_ when she comes looking for him. She stares at the words with him, a shiver running down her spine. She knows the words are important. She even knows what they mean, except she can't really say. It's on the tip of her tongue. She squeezes his hand and they look at one another. He gives her a small, tentative smile.

"You alright?"

"Mostly. Just thinkin'."

"So that's where all the smoke has come from!" She smiles up at him, tongue in teeth. The smile to send his hearts racing.

"Oi!" He smiles at her teasing and his sour mood starts to dissipate.

"You ready to get this over with?" His smile falters slightly.

"No. Not sure I've been this nervous in my life. Never imagined myself doing this."

"Doing what?"

"The whole, meet the girlfriend's parents bit."

"So I'm your girlfriend now?" Again, her tone is teasing. His reply, however, is serious.

"Rose Tyler, I'm not sure there are words to describe what you are to me. Five billion languages me, and none have the words." She ducks her head, embarrassed. He grasps her chin and tilts her head back so he can look into her eyes. The flecks of gold he saw earlier are still there, he notices. He kisses her gently, barely a brush of his lips across hers. He feels her smile and smiles with her.

"Better get this over with." She watches as his manic, confident mask slips into place. She briefly wonders if she will ever truly know the man underneath. The head to the flat, hand-in-hand, ready to face the wrath that is one Jackie Tyler.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

When they enter the flat, he can smell shepherd's pie coming from the kitchen. Not an unpleasant smell, honestly. Mickey is sitting in the Living Room watching the last few moments of a match. Jackie is in the Kitchen, humming to herself. Rose drags the Doctor into the Kitchen and sits him at the table. They sit silently, waiting for Jackie to finish making tea. Mickey makes an entrance as well, seating himself across from Rose. He winces inwardly. He should have known that he would be here. The silence is awkward as the three wait on the Tyler Matriarch to acknowledge their existence.

While waiting, the Doctor zones out. He isn't brooding. Anyone who knows anything knows that Time Lords **do not** brood. However, he is definitely running through the infinite possibilities of outcomes for this little "talk". He's shaken from his inner thoughts from a tea cup being set in front of his face. When he looks up, Jackie is eyeing him, one eyebrow raised.

"Now, Doctor, I want you to explain to me exactly why my daughter was gone for a year. No lying. Just tell me the truth." Her eyes are inquisitive and not accusatory. He takes this as a positive sign. He takes a deep breath before he begins.

"First off, understand, the TARDIS is a time ship. T-A-R-D-I-S. Time And Relative Dimension In Space. For you, it was a year. For us, just a few days. I set the coordinates to bring her home twelve hours after I left. I checked them when I put them in. I don't know what happened but we arrived twelve months, not twelve hours, later. Good thing, though. Otherwise, this rock would be molten slab by now." Jackie's eyes narrow slightly as he is talking.

"Okay. Time ship. Does it just stay on Earth then?"

"No. I can go anywhere in Time or Space with her. She's always been a bit tetchy. She doesn't always take me where I want to go. Like yesterday, I can arrive at completely different times. Other times, she sends me to the wrong place. I've found, if she does this, there's a reason. Not always one I will like, either."

"Is it always dangerous, traveling with you?" The Doctor takes a deep breath, unsure how to answer this. He glances to Rose, who gives him a barely perceptible nod. _Truth, then._

"Not always, but most of the Time. I don't look for trouble, usually. But I almost always find trouble wherever I land."

"I don't like that you've drug my nineteen year old daughter into this life. How many other have you taken away in that box of yours?"

"Thirty-three I would consider full time companions. I've had various others along for the ride as well."

"And why aren't they still around, Doctor?" Again, her question makes him pause. He really doesn't want to continue this line of questioning.

"Some left me. Some I left. And a couple have died." He hears Jackie inhale sharply. He looks up at her with a smidgen of courage he didn't know he possessed. Her eyes are wide and shocked, like she didn't think he would actually answer the question truthfully.

"Mum, Is this going somewhere?" Jackie ignores her.

"All a parent wants for her children if for them to live a long, prosperous, and happy life. Can you give my daughter that, Doctor?" Something in him snaps. He stands abruptly and leans over the table towards Jackie. His voice is low and menacing.

"You think I don't know that, Jackie Tyler? I've been a father, and a grandfather. I left my own granddaughter on Earth with the man she loved. I think I know what it means to hope for the best for your child." A hand on his own calms him almost immediately. Her palm slides against his and their fingers intertwine. His eyes soften at her touch. Jackie looks between the two of them.

"I don't like your dangerous life, Doctor. I don't think it's what is best for my Rose. But-" She stops and looks pointedly at their hands clasped together. Then she looks up at them. "But, I see that she is happy. I may not always like you, or agree with you. But don't hurt my Rose, and we'll be okay."

"I won't hurt her, Jackie. You have my word."

"And you will bring her home safe?" Jackie's eyes were no longer the hard eyes when they first started. Now they are pleading. It dawns on the Doctor that Rose is an only child and that's why Jackie reacts so strongly.

"I will bring her home safe. I'm not Jimmy Stone." Both Mickey and Jackie are startled by this. Neither would've thought that Rose would talk about Jimmy.

"You told him about Jimmy?" Mickey's voice is quiet.

"Of course I told him about Jimmy. I woke up screaming." The Doctor's hand tightens around hers. "I showed him the scars."

"You showed him the scars? You wouldn't even show them to me!" Mickey stands from the table, pushing his chair back against the wall.

"Because I trust him, Micks."

"You don't trust me? After all we've been through?"

"My mum didn't trust you either." Mickey closes his eyes at this.

"Why are you being like this, Rose? I mean, I know you left me for him. You made that obvious. But we've known one another for years. Please tell me you're not throwing that away?" He's almost pleading with her. She sighs heavily.

"No, Mickey. I'm not throwing our friendship away. But understand that I'm not yours anymore. I don't think I really ever was." Mickey nods slowly. He comes around the table and kisses the top of her head.

"I think I'm going to go ahead and head out. Been a long couple of days. Call me." They watch as Mickey leaves the flat. Jackie looks at the Doctor and raises an eyebrow.

"You're a grandfather? Exactly how old are you?" The Doctor shrugs.

"Stopped counting when the War started. I was well over 900 then."

"900 years old and you're with a 19 year old!?" Jackie shrieks at him, making him and Rose both wince.

"Would it make you feel any better if I told you I was 45? I'm alien, Jackie. Are you really surprised that I can claim to be that old?"

"No. I guess not. Blimey. My daughter's with an alien." She shakes her head and turns away, trying to compose herself. She wanted the truth, but she had no clue, really, what she had asked for.

The Doctor and Rose sip their tea, hands still clasped together. Now that it seemed to be over, the Doctor is relaxing. Jackie dishes out plates for the three of them and they eat in silence. The Doctor had to admit, the food wasn't half bad. After Dinner, the Doctor migrates to the Living Room. He's starting to get restless. He disappears, out the door, back to the TARDIS.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose listens as the Doctor leaves. She smiles to herself. Today was a huge accomplishment for him. Domestics isn't his strong area, so he claims. He runs as far from it as he possibly can so he doesn't get attached. A bit too late for that with her.

"Are you really happy, Rose?" Rose grins at her mum.

"Yeah, I am."

"Then, I guess that's all that really matters. Promise me you'll try and call more often."

"Why don't you call me?" Jackie looks at her strangely.

"No, seriously. Call me every few days. It might only be a couple of days for us but it might be months for you. If you call every couple of days then you won't worry as much. But don't panic if I don't answer right away. Okay?" Jackie nods.

"Yeah...that sounds acceptable. Is he good to you? When you're out?"

"Mum, stop worrying. I love this life with him. This is the first time since Jimmy I've really felt alive."

"Do you love him, Rose?"

"I...I think so. It's too soon to tell. We're trying to actually build a relationship, though. It's difficult for both of us. He's scarred because of the War and I'm...well, you know how I'm scarred. But he looked at those scars and told me how beautiful he thought I was. Not just with his words. His face, Mum...he-"

"I don't think I need to be told any more. I'm happy for you, Rose. I wish it had been some normal bloke but I'm just glad that you're moving forward. I love you, you know."

"I love you too, Mum. I think it's time for us to leave, though. He's already skipped out."

"Too domestic for him?"

"You have no idea." Rose gives her mum a hug before getting the things she had packed from her room. Jackie watches as she goes down the stairs and back into that strange life.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Mickey is sitting on a rubbish bin reading the newspaper while a young boy is finishing cleaning off the Bad Wolf tag.

"Good lad. Graffiti that again and I'll have you. Now, beat it." The boy runs off with his bucket and scrubbing brush.

"I just went down the shop, and I was thinking, you know, like the whole world's changed. Aliens and spaceships all in public. And here it is-" He holds up a newspaper: The Evening Standard headline is - Alien Hoax.

"How could they do that? They saw it."

"They're just not ready. You're happy to believe in something that's invisible, but if it's staring you in the face, nope, can't see it. There's a scientific explanation for that. You're thick."

"We're just idiots."

"Well, not all of you."

"Yeah?"

"Present for you, Mickey." He gives Mickey a CD.

"That's a virus. Put it online. It'll destroy every mention of me. I'll cease to exist."

"What do you want to do that for?"

"Because you're right, I am dangerous. I don't want anybody following me." Rose comes around the corner with her bags. The Doctor looks up at her and smiles.

"How can you say that and then take her with you?" The Doctor's smile drops slightly.

"You could look after her. Come with us." Mickey looks at him, surprise on his face. But the Doctor...the Doctor seems to be sincere.

"I can't. This life of yours, it's just too much. I couldn't do it. Don't tell her I said that. Besides, you two are trying to build something. I don't want to be there to interfere." The Doctor looks at Mickey, considering his words.

"Alright, I won't tell her. But the offer still stands, if you want."

"Thanks, boss." The Doctor eyes the rucksack that Rose is holding.

"Got enough stuff?"

"Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment. Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with me." Rose gives the Doctor her rucksack and goes to Mickey. She embraces him in a fierce hug.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be mean. You have been there for me for me and I really do appreciate it. You're my best friend. Come with us, please?"

"No chance. I'm not having him on board."

"We'd be dead without him." The Doctor shrugs, eyes staying away from hers. She notices and files it away to ask him about it.

"My decision is final." He doesn't sound like he means it, though. Rose looks at Mickey, apology on her lips.

"Sorry." Rose hugs Mickey again and places a kiss on his cheek.

"Good luck, yeah."

Rose smiles at Mickey before grasping the Doctor's hand. They walk into the TARDIS, together. He can't help but think that everything is as it should be.


	12. Alistair and Kate

_I do not own Doctor Who._

_There's a section where it is basically an internal monologue. Please bear with me on this. His thoughts are all over the place. I'm hoping I did decently on it._

_I will be moving this weekend. Don't expect another update until later next week on any of my stories. It's also what has taken me so long to update. Sorry. Things should hopefully be back to normal next week._

**Alistair and Kate**

"So, what was that back there, then?" The Doctor looks at Rose, confusion and apprehension on his face.

"What was what?" He dances around the Console, flinging levers. She knows they have hit the Vortex when the ship evens out. He stands facing towards the Time Rotor, away from her. His stance and general demeanor lend to her suspicious. He's hiding something.

"What were you and Mickey talking about just before I showed up?"

"Nothing much. I just gave him a virus that would eliminate mentions of me on the Internet."

"No, there was more than just that. What were you whispering about and why did you stop before I showed up?"

The Doctor sighs heavily before crossing his arms and turning to face her. He keeps his eyes down for a moment before raising his eyes to hers. There was a pregnant pause before he finally started speaking.

"Mickey was worried about you. He wanted to make sure that I was going to keep you safe."

"I thought you had already made that clear?"

"Not with Mickey. Probably not with either of them, really. This life is dangerous, Rose."

"You're hiding something."

"Am not." His tone sounds just as childish as the phrase he has uttered. She gives him a pointed look and he sighs. He steps towards her, taking her in his arms, burying his face in her hair.

"I could've lost you today. They are right to be worried. I...I offered Mickey the chance to come with us. Not just to watch over you. He really did prove himself to me today. He said no. Told me not to tell ya. Didn't want to appear weak."

"He said no? Why?" She wasn't going to bring up the 'looking over her bit' for now.

"Not ready for it. Didn't want to get in between us. I think now that his name is cleared, he's going to look for someone for himself. To move on."

"Seeing us these last two days probably helped that along, huh?"

"Probably. So, ready to finish this Circular Paradox you decided to create?"

"No. No, it's bed time for tired little humans. Didn't get much sleep last night, remember?" He looks at her a bit sheepishly.

"Right. Bed then." She grins at him.

"You comin' or are you gonna stay up?"

"I'll at least stay until you go to sleep. Probably should do a bit of research about when to go see the Brigadier and Kate."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He stays quite a bit longer after she falls asleep. He finds himself content to just watch her. It also gives him some time to think of the events of the last two days.

_Not only had she put it upon herself to create a paradox, it seems she actually knew what she was doing. I know that was the Wolf and it excites and scares me at the same time. She's fumbling through the laws of Time like she's some...some Goddess._

_**But she is.**__ The Wolf is the embodiment of Time. Of course she doesn't have the training that I do in dealing with various points of Time. She wasn't raised on Gallifrey. I will have to teach her myself but she seems to be an exceptionally quick learner. And Time bends to her will. I wonder if she would be able to actually see Time Lines as I can. Granted, my ability was muted since Gallifrey was lost._

_If a Time Lord did what the Wolf had, he would become a God. Vengeful and hateful. But a human is so, well, __**human**__. Everything she does is out of love. Love for everyone she meets. I have not witnessed her be hateful to anyone at all yet and I suspect I won't. Just, yes, but not __hateful__. She's willing to give everyone a chance, including me. And I will be eternally grateful for that chance. She's my one shot at happiness, at salvation and I'll be damned if I muck it all up._

He furrows his brows in concentration, trying to see those frayed Time Lines. As a general rule, a Time Lord cannot see his own Time Line. Knowing ones own future is not advisable. However, since Gallifrey did not actually fall, he can examine the broken Time Lines from that choice. Two seem the most prevalent. One, where he goes mad and becomes the Time Lord Victorious, the Valeyard. And another, where he grudgingly picks up the pieces and moves on. It's not easy, but he does it. He examines this one closer.

It's almost identical to his current Time Line, so he looks at it only briefly. He does get bits and pieces of it. Rose has changed so much. Then again, so has he. He was so lonely in that other Time Line. Even with Rose there, he distanced himself. He can sense the difference in just himself from how he is now and how he could have been. It wasn't just the fall of the Time Lords, but it played a big part.

_I'm actually, happier now. That's odd. I don't think I've ever been properly happy. Even when I traveled with Susan, I pretended to be a crotchety old man instead of the relative child that I was. Funny, that._

She sighs in her sleep and he looks down at her. A small smile plays on her lips. His face softens, erasing the line of concentration from his face.

_I love her. I've loved her for months, since before the Fall of Gallifrey and I will love her long after I find my people again. But I've spent my entire life distancing myself, it's hard to just give in. I knows she returns my love. She shows me daily with her actions, if not her words. But over 900 years of living and I have plenty of personal baggage and hang ups to get though, not including hers._

_Speaking of baggage, did the Jimmy Stone incident happen originally or is it something that has changed? The Wolf was world-weary like me, but I didn't see those types of deep-seeded scars like I am witnessing with this Rose. Some scars don't go away, even after 500 years. I've never been known for my patience. But I know I am too far gone. I'll wait for her until the End of Time if I have to._

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He's not there when she wakes. She hadn't expected him to be. His side of the bed looked a bit rumpled, so she knows he was at least there part of the night. She stretches like a cat before getting out of bed to start her daily routine. She knows he will come looking for her now that she's awake. The TARDIS is good about letting him know when she is up and about.

Sure enough, as soon as she is done with her shower, he comes in looking for her. She's wearing more than when she showed him the scars, but his ears still tinge red at the sight of her. Her first reaction is to cover herself up. But the Doctor's face is full of open awe at the sight of her. Despite her scars, she feels loved and desired by him. Completely different from the feelings Jimmy used to instill in her. She ducks her head shyly, embarrassed and stops trying to cover herself. He steps over to her, tentatively, like he thinks she will run.

He holds his arms out, and waits for her to make a move herself. She stares at his hands for a moment, then at him. She smiles a small smile and steps forward, allowing him to envelope her in a hug. They stand there for a moment, enjoying each others presence.

"Go...get. Let me get dressed. I'll meet you in the Console Room, yeah?"

His ears are still tinted pink when she enters the Console Room. Rose finds it sort of endearing. For 900 years old, he's acting like a teenager. She finds it cute, endearing, and strangely, comforting.

"I've already set the coordinates, we just haven't landed yet."

"Anything I need to know before I step out those doors?" He considers this for a moment. It's been centuries since he's seen the Brigadier. He has no clue as to how he has changed.

"Not that I'm aware. He is a military man. A bit gruff at times. Probably not any worse than you or I are used to, though. We worked side by side for years and if he can deal with me, he can definitely deal with you." He gives her a cheeky grin

"Are you trying to say I'm worse than you?"

"Nope. I'm saying you're better than me. Least wise in how you act. Even I know I can be a bit eccentric. Be prepared for him to not recognize me immediately, though. He's never seen this version of me."

"Version?" He shrugs at her. He's forgotten that he hadn't told her about Regeneration. The Wolf knew. She'd been through several as well as he own.

"I forget sometimes that while you are both the same person, you don't know as much as she did. I'm a Time Lord, Rose. I've died a total of eight times making this my Ninth body. I don't know for sure how many times she saw me Regenerate, but I know of at least one. It's been centuries and several bodies ago since I last saw Alistair. He'll know it's me, of course. The TARDIS kind of gives it away. And he also knows about Regeneration."

She scrunches her brows together in concentration.

"That why, when I looked you up, it showed lots of different pictures of you with different faces?"

He nods. She huffs out a sigh, obviously still confused. He waits patiently for her to process the information. She closes her eyes. He watches as her eyes flit back and forth behind her eyelids. He is unsure if she is doing this to process what he had just told her or if she is conversing with the Wolf. Before he has a chance to process further than that, she speaks.

"You can change your face, your entire personality, and you didn't think it important enough to tell me?"

"I...I..The Wolf knew. I didn't think it was important to tell you now."

"She didn't know until you changed in front of her."

"It's not like it's something that's planned."

"No, I get that. No one plans to die. And were I just another companion, I wouldn't complain. Fact is, if we are more than just Time Lord and companion, some things I need to know. Something that's going to alter you completely is definitely something that I need to know before it happens."

He's momentarily stunned. He's been more honest and forthcoming with Rose than anyone else in his history. She is right, though. They are trying to build something and him changing his face and personality is something she should know. He sighs and softens his stance.

"I will try, Rose. I can't promise that I will always keep you in the loop. But I will try. I've never done the whole, relationship bit. Even my own wife it was a marriage of convenience. I'm rubbish at most of this but for you, I will try."

Her answering smile brightens the room and he can't help but smile back.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They land in the mid 1990's outside of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart's house. Alistair and Kate hadn't really been on speaking terms until recently. At the sound of the TARDIS, both rush out to greet their visitors.

"Doctor!" He is greeted by Alistair as soon as he steps off the TARDIS, Rose's right hand clasped firmly in his left. With his free hand, he shakes Alistair's hand, followed by Kate's.

"What do we owe this pleasure?"

"Couple things, really. But first, I'd like you to meet my partner, Rose Tyler."

"Partner?" He doesn't get a chance to answer. Rose looks up at Alistair, a bright flecks of gold in her eyes.

"It means, Brigadier, that one of these days I hope to make an honest man out of him." She smiles cheekily at him, eyes still glowing faintly. Alistair and Kate both stare for a moment before inviting them in.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Kate and Rose finally make their way to the Kitchen while the Doctor and Brigadier stay in the Lounge.

"How long have you and the Doctor been...well...this?"

"It's complicated."

"Everything with the Doctor is complicated."

"No, I mean." She huffs in frustration. "Honestly? You'd have better luck asking him about it. We didn't come here for that, though. I actually needed to come by and talk to you."

"Me? Why?"

"Because, he's going to bring me home a year late. 2006 instead of 2005. My Mum will have reported me missing. I'm going to give the officer your number and he will call you. I need you to vouch for the Doctor. Put my mum at ease."

Kate blinks her eyes at Rose for a moment.

"This has already happened to you, hasn't it?"

"Yup."

"So how did you know my number then?"

"That's part of why it's complicated. I'm myself, but I also have my 500 year old counter-part in my head."

"What?"

"An older version of me. Something happens. Essentially, she is just energy. I understand that much. That's why the merge happened to effortlessly. She's rewriting the Doctor's Time Line and in essence her own as well."

"Does he know about it?"

"Of course I know about it. She asked three of my incarnations for permission before doing it." Neither had noticed the Doctor and Alistair walk into the Kitchen, but only Kate jumped at his voice.

"It's more than that, though. Rose saved me from having to commit double genocide. There was a War. A Time War. I don't know how long it lasted. But by the end, the only way I could see to end it was to destroy Gallifrey which would also destroy the Daleks surrounding it. Then Rose came along. And together we found a better way. Now Gallifrey is locked away, who knows where. A pocket dimension. But I have no home to go to anymore."

The Doctor looks momentarily lost. Rose steps over to him and embraces him. They stand, with her head tucked underneath his chin, the Doctor staring into nothingness.

"I destroyed many worlds, Alistair. So much blood on my hands."

"War is horrible, Doctor. Does horrible things to a person. S'not something I would wish on anyone."

"Me neither, Alistair." They stand in silence for a few moments before the Doctor breaks away from Rose.

"Enough of the depressing stuff. We live and we move on. And I think it's probably time for us all to move on. Assuming your business is done, Rose?"

"I think so. Kate?"

Kate nods at them both.

"Until we meet again, then."

The Brigadier and Kate watch as the Doctor and Rose disappear in the TARDIS. Kate's phone buzzes and she looks down. She's received a message.

_'We'll be seeing you again. ~Bad Wolf'_

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_This one was really difficult to write. Probably not so much the content as the fact that I've been heavily distracted all week from moving. The next episode is 'Dalek'. I'm debating changing my writing style for episodes. It's tedious and redundant to rewrite the entire episode so I may just switch to changing scenes. I'm still no sure yet._

_Input, as always, is appreciated. I know this wasn't one of my better chapters. I'll try to make up for it in the next one!_


	13. Dalek

_I do not own Doctor Who._

_**BlazingLizard09** brought up a good point on my story 'The Big Bad Wolf'. I had mentioned that Donna was married. Because those chapter files became corrupted, I lost the part where I said they were divorced. That is my fault and I apologize for that. I'll upload an updated version of that chapter later and hopefully clear up the confusion._

_Again, I'm changing my writing style for the episodes. I'm not longer going to rehash the entire episode but summarize and only change the scenes I want to. There should be more internal monologuing and missing scenes from the actual episodes. Let me know how I do. This one still has quite a bit of the episode in it but I summarized where I thought I could. It's still lengthy._

**Dalek**

The Doctor and Rose had spent the last two weeks running from planet to planet. The Doctor wasn't giving Rose much time to recuperate between adventures but she honestly didn't mind. Well, he had taken her to a lovely dance. But they both enjoy the adventure. The Wolf had been peaking through more and more on these adventures. They seem to have formed a cohesive relationship. For the most part, Rose lives her life like she should and the Wolf's interference is minimal.

This morning, though, she sits on the jump seat, watching him. He's looking at the monitor. It started beeping around two minutes prior. Today is supposed to be a bit of a rest period for them both. He'd promised her a leisure planet. But as soon as she heard the beeping, she knew they were off to another adventure. When he whips his head up to look at her, apology on his face, she just smiles and shakes her head fondly.

"Whacha got there?"

"Distress signal. The code looks familiar, I just can't seem to place it. Regardless, someone is calling for help and the TARDIS has decided we need to go. Fancy one more adventure before we take a rest?" She grins widely and holds out her hand for him. He smiles back as he takes it.

"See? I knew there was a reason I kept you around. You enjoy this as much as I do." Her smile never falters, but in the back of her mind, the Wolf is howling.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The most disturbing thing about this museum, as far as Rose is concerned, isn't the exhibits. It's Van Statten himself, thinking he can collect and keep a 'living' alien as his pet. No, scratch that. He thinks it's okay, fun even and most who work with him seem to agree and it makes Rose sick. The Doctor's expression is thunderous. All he wanted was to show Van Statten a bit of beauty but apparently, all he is concerned about it making money. Things never change.

Rose is shaken out of her inner dialogue by the man himself, trying to 'set her up' with the British boy that works for him. Yeah, Adam is pretty. And yes, if she weren't with the Doctor, she might consider it. But she also sees through Van Statten's words to hear the obvious dismissal. She isn't the alien 'expert' and isn't needed. The entire situation has the Wolf inside her head howling and her normal calm, excited demeanor is replaced by a snippy, rude attitude. She is sure her eyes are golden, now. When she catches the Doctor's gaze one last time, his slightly wide eyes tell her that yes, her inner Wolf is peaking out. That's fine with her.

She follows Adam, because that is what seems to be expected of her. And for now, at least, she will comply. They haven't been overly hostile yet. Rude, yes, but not hostile. Besides, if anything happens to the Doctor, she will know almost immediately. They have learned in the last couple of weeks, that the bond that was formed between the Wolf and her husband, Joshua Noble, is also present between this Rose and the Doctor. It's weaker. Much weaker. But he's been able to find her using the bond. They also can receive echos of one another's emotions through it. It's not nearly as strong as the bond that it could be, but neither feel comfortable enough to strengthen it. Rose, because of her intimacy issues. The Doctor, because he can't bear to let Rose in that far. Not yet.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor stares after Rose, long after she had left the room. This little act is noticed by Van Statten, and if need be, he would use it to his advantage. It is obvious they both care for one another. He's still unsure of their dynamic but regardless, there is some sort of relationship and he will exploit it if necessary.

He engages the Doctor in small talk as they head to his little Vault. It's a defensive tactic but also a distraction. There are many more things in the museum and the Doctor has already proven himself knowledgeable. The less he knows about the seedier projects, the better. The little delicate flower that he travels with wouldn't be an issue. She definitely doesn't have the brains of this partnership.

"We've tried everything. The creature has shielded itself but there's definite signs of life inside."

"Inside? Inside what?" A soldier outside the door speaks up before Van Statten can answer.

"Welcome back, sir. I've had to take the power down. The Metaltron is resting."

"Metaltron?"

"Thought of it myself. Good, isn't it? Although I'd much to prefer to find out it's real name."

"Here, you'd better put these on. The last guy that touched it burst into flames." The soldier outside the door tries to hand the Doctor thick rubber gloves that reach to his elbows. The Doctor regards the gloves then looks at Van Statten coolly.

"I won't touch it then." The Doctor snarks back at Van Statten. All of the alarm bells are going off in the Doctor's head. This situation is wrong. Van Statten is wrong. The Doctor considers making a run for it, but the guns deter him. Not for his own safety, but Rose's.

"Go ahead, Doctor. Impress me." The Doctor glares one last time at Van Statten before walking through the heavy door. As the door shuts, he hears Van Statten's orders.

"Don't open that door until we get a result."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The room that the Doctor steps into is dark. The only light illuminating the room is a faint blue glow from his right. He stops to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. Near him he sees a table with various computers and machinery. He is unable to discern much else in the near total darkness and definitely nothing that looks to be alive. He takes a deep breath before doing what he does best: talking.

"Look, I'm sorry about this. Mister Van Statten might think he's clever, but never mind him. I've come to help. I'm the Doctor."

"DOC. TOR?" The Doctor pales at the mechanical voice that greets him. A white light illuminates in the general vicinity of the blue light. He should have known immediately what was in the room by that glow but didn't. He has become complacent, thinking that he had killed them all.

"Impossible." He breathes his answer, eyes wide and disbelief on his face.

"THE DOCTOR?" The lights come on revealing a badly battered and almost completely ruined Dalek. The eye stalk settles on the Doctor and its weapon raises. The Doctor darts to the door, beating on it, terror written across his face.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" He closes his eyes, knowing that if the Dalek gets a shot off, he is done for. No Regenerating.

"YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF THE DALEKS! YOU MUST BE DESTROYED!" The Doctor looks up. Daleks never keep talking once they begin to 'Exterminate'. He notices the gun arm is twitching, like it is trying to shoot but nothing is happening. It's completely broken. The Doctor laughs in disbelief.

"It's not working." The Dalek looks at his weapon. The Doctor's laugh is bordering in insane at this point. Abruptly, he stops laughing and steps close to the Dalek. His voice drops dangerously low.

"Fantastic! Oh, fantastic! Powerless! Look at you. The great space dustbin. How does it feel?" He spits out the last. The Dalek, even though he is heavily chained, trieS to flinch away from the angry Time Lord.

"KEEP BACK!"

"What for? What're you going to do to me? If you can't kill, then what are you good for, Dalek? What's the point of you? You're nothing." Fear, anger, rage, and even a touch of pity flow through the Doctor. This IS his most feared enemy, reduced to nothing more than a hunk of metal. It was injured and obviously being tortured but the Doctor couldn't find it in himself to care.

"What the hell are you here for?"

"I AM WAITING FOR ORDERS! I AM A SOLDIER. I WAS BRED TO RECEIVE ORDERS!"

"Well you're never going to get any. Not ever."

"I DEMAND ORDERS!"

"They're never going to come! Your race is dead! You all burnt, all of you. Ten million ships on fire. The entire Dalek race wiped out in one second."

"YOU LIE!"

"I watched it happen." He edges closer to the Dalek, just short of touching. Venom drips from his lips. "I made it happen."

"YOU DESTROYED US?" The Doctor's eyes are wide. He had destroyed them. Completely and utterly. Genocide of an entire species at the push of a button. Granted, he hadn't used the Moment, but the ending result for the Daleks had been the same. His anger wilts slightly at this revelation.

"I had no choice."

"AND WHAT OF THE TIME LORDS?"

"Gone. The end of the last great Time War. Everyone lost."

"AND THE COWARD SURVIVED." The Doctor chuckles bitterly. Yes, the coward survived. Completely cut off from his own kind. But the Dalek didn't need to know that. He smiles, manic gleam in his eyes.

"Oh, and I caught your little signal. Help me. Poor little thing. But there's no one else coming 'cause there's no one else left."

"I AM ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE." If the Doctor didn't know better, he would think that the Dalek sounds, mournful, sad, regretful. He isn't going to fall for it.

"Yep."

"SO ARE YOU. WE ARE THE SAME."

"We're not the same! I'm not-" He pauses, considering his words. Because by the end of the Time War, you couldn't tell who was worse, the Time Lords of the Daleks. The Time Lords had fallen so far, the Doctor most of all. "No, wait. Maybe we are. You're right. Yeah, okay. You've got a point. 'Cause I know what to do. I know what should happen. I know what you deserve. Exterminate." The Doctor pulls a lever on a nearby console and the Dalek is lit up with electricity. The Doctor stares at the Dalek, eyes cold and hard.

"HAVE PITY!"

"Why should I? You never did." Before more can be said, Van Statten and his guards burst into the room. They grab the Doctor and flip off the switch. Van Statten steps over to the Dalek.

"I saved your life. Now talk to me. Goddamn it, talk to me!"

"You've got to destroy it!" The Doctor screams at Van Statten, fear written plainly across his face. He is ignored by all in the room and those holding him drag him out of the room.

"The last in the universe. And now I know your name. Dalek. Speak to me, Dalek. I am Henry Van Statten, now recognise me!" The Dalek stays silent. Van Statten turns to Simmons and snarls. "Make it talk again, Simmons. Whatever it takes."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose follows Adam to his workshop, tuning out his babble. She really wanted to be with the Doctor. He always managed to get into trouble when she wasn't around. Instead, she had been dismissed like a servant. It rubbed her raw. Something about this entire encounter has her on edge and this bothers her. She barely listens to Adam as he talks to her, giving him vague answers. He doesn't seem to be able to tell the difference. But his pompous, unabashed flirting finally gets to her.

"Look, mate. I'm sure you're a nice bloke and all, but I'm taken."

"What? You mean, the Doctor?" She can't help but notice that he looks disbelieving.

"Yes, the Doctor."

"Why in the world would you go with someone like him? He's old enough to be your dad!"

"Because he's selfless, unlike you. You think it's fun to try and start World War Three. The Doctor is out there trying to stop it. He makes the world, the Universe, a better place. And he lets me be a part of it. What isn't to love about that?"

"So he's like, some sort of philanthropist?"

"A bit, yeah." Before Adam can answer, Rose's eyes grow wide. She starts breathing quickly, almost like she is having a panic attack. It's not her panic she is feeling. It's his. Her legs give from beneath her and she starts to fall. In the weeks that they had discovered the incomplete bond, she had never felt this crushing of an emotion from him. Even when she was hanging over a vat of acid, he had kept control of his emotions. She barely registers the fact that Adam catches her as she falls.

She concentrates on her breathing. After what seems like hours, but is actually only a few minutes, she has regained her composure. She doesn't know how to trace this fledgling bond to find him but she knows she needs to.

"Where have they taken the Doctor?"

"Down to the Vault. Are you alright?" He's still hovering close to her. It's suffocating. She stands abruptly and glares at him.

"Where. Have. They. Taken. Him?" She inches closer with every word, backing him into a corner.

"The Vault! That's all I know!"

"Show me."

She hovers behind him while he brings up the surveillance. She can see him, outside of a big metal door, screaming at Van Statten. She squints her eyes and glares as they drag him away.

"What is in that room, Adam?"

"I don't know. I've never been allowed down there."

"But you do know. You're brilliant. A genius. So what is down there?" Playing to his ego seems to work. He gets back to his computer and starts typing. After a few moments, they see a darkly lit room. On one end is the "creature" screaming in pain. They can clearly see electricity coursing through it.

"It's being tortured. Where's the Doctor?"

"I don't know. I can't find him."

"Fine. Take me down there. Now."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor, Van Statten and one of his associates (Goddard, the Doctor recalls) are in an elevator, heading to the upper portions of the complex. Van Statten is asking questions and the Doctor answers. He hopes he can make him understand.

"The metal's just battle armour. The real Dalek creature's inside."

"What does it look like?"

"A nightmare. It's a mutation. The Dalek race was genetically engineered. Every single emotion was removed except hate."

"Genetically engineered. By whom?"

"By a genius, Van Statten. By a man who was king of his own little world. You'd like him."

"It's been on Earth for over fifty years. Sold at a private auction, moving from one collection to another. Why would it be a threat now?" Van Statten has gone quiet and now Goddard is asking questions.

"Because I'm here. How did it get to Earth? Does anyone know?"

"The records say it came from the sky like a meteorite. It fell to Earth on the Ascension Islands. Burnt in its crater for three days before anybody could get near it and all that time it was screaming. It must have gone insane."

"It must have fallen through time. The only survivor."

"You talked about a war?"

"The Time War. The final battle between my people and the Dalek race."

"But you survived, too."

"I locked my people away. Trapped them. It was the only way to stop the War."

"Regardless, this means that the Dalek isn't the only alien on Earth. Doctor, there's you. The only one of your kind in existence."

Before the Doctor has a chance to respond, Goddard has his hands bound. They drag him roughly into another room. Here are various machines, including a type of MRI and CT Scan. Several more men enter the room and help to restrain the Time Lord. Soon, he finds himself naked and chained. They have him still standing, but unable to really maneuver. His legs and arms both are too far apart, knocking off his balance. He is completely at Van Statten's mercy. He watches as Van Statten goes behind a piece of equipment.

"Now, smile!" A painful laser scan runs down the Doctor's body. He tries to bite back the screams. A moment of clarity and he places mental shields so Rose can't feel this as well. He vows that as soon as they are done here, he will help her with her mental shielding. He'll teach her about the bond and how to manipulate it. And he might also strengthen it. But for now, he's just happy she doesn't have to see him tortured again.

"Two hearts! Binary vascular system. Oh, I am so going to patent this."

"So that's your secret. You don't just collect this stuff, you scavenge it." Disgust and anger are evident in his tone. The more this Van Statten talks, the more the Doctor loathes him.

"This technology has been falling to Earth for centuries. All it took was the right mind to use it properly. Oh, the adVances I've made from alien junk. You have no idea, Doctor. Broadband? Roswell. Just last year my scientists cultivated bacteria from the Russian crater, and do you know what we found? The cure for the common cold. Kept it strictly within the laboratory of course. No need to get people excited. Why sell one cure when I can sell a thousand palliatives?"

"Do you know what a Dalek is, Van Statten? A Dalek is honest. It does what it was born to do for the survival of its species. That creature in your dungeon is better than you."

"In that case, I will be true to myself and continue."

"Listen to me! That thing downstairs is going to kill every last one of us!"

"Nothing can escape the Cage." He blasts the Doctor with the laser again. When he recovers, his voice is pleading.

"But it's woken up. It knows I'm here. It's going to get out. Van Statten, I swear, no one on this base is safe. No one on this planet!" Van Statten runs the laser scan again, just to hear the Doctor scream.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose follows Adam down the Vault. Outside, one of the guards stops them but Adam easily convinces them they are allowed. Inside, the creature is no longer being tortured. It is sitting there, still in chains. Rose approaches it cautiously.

"Don't get too close." The door closes with a resounding thud.

"Hello. Are you in pain? My name's Rose Tyler. I've got a friend, he can help. He's called the Doctor. What's your name?"

"YES."

"What?" She looks at it, confused.

"I AM IN PAIN. THEY TORTURE ME, BUT STILL THEY FEAR ME. DO YOU FEAR ME?"

"No."

"I AM DYING"

"No, we can help."

"I WELCOME DEAT. BUT I AM GLAD THAT BEFORE I DIE I HAVE MET A HUMAN WHO WAS NOT AFRAID."

"Isn't there anything I can do?"

MY RACE IS DEAD, AND I SHALL DIE ALONE." Before she can think, and before Adam knows what she is doing, her eyes flash gold and she reaches out her hand. She touches the dome, close to his eyes stalk.

"Not alone." She whispers. She turns and walks off, eyes still slightly glowing.

"GENETIC MATERIAL EXTRAPOLATED! INITIATE CELLULAR RECONSTRUCTION!" Rose ignores Simmons and the other guards as they enter. Simmons advances on the Dalek, unconcerned with the fact that it is now free and no longer battered. Rose's DNA fully integrates and heals the Dalek. The Dalek raises his plunger-like appendage at Simmons.

"What are you going to do? Sucker me to death?"

Neither Rose nor Adam stick around in the room. They do, however, look into the room from the monitors outside. They watched as the Dalek advances on Simmons and as he raises his plunger towards Simmons face.

"It's killing him! Do something!" Rose cries to the frozen guards. One picks up his radio.

"Condition red! Condition red!" They continue to watch until Simmons' body falls to the floor. Rose slowly backs away, taking Adam with her.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

In the exam room, where the Doctor is being held, all heads snap up at the Alert.

"_I repeat, this is not a drill!"_ The Doctor looks at Van Statten.

"Release me if you want to live." Van Statten stares at the Doctor, then nods. The guards unhook the Doctor and give him back his clothes. Everyone leaves the room except Van Statten.

"Why would you still help?" The Doctor looks at Van Statten, irritation on his face.

"Several reasons. None of which are important right now. Get me somewhere I can actually work."

Van Statten leads him to his office. On one wall is a large TV. Van Statten presses a few buttons on his computer and the screen shows the camera outside of the Vault. The Doctor's stomach drops. Rose is standing there, just outside of the Dalek's cell.

"You've got to keep it in that cell."

_"Doctor, it's all my fault."_

"I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations."

"A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat." As the Doctor says this, the door to the Cage starts to open. He watches as the soldiers position themselves to fire. He listens as Van Statten, still, wants to keep it. He stares at Rose in the monitor.

"Rose, get out of there!" She turns to the camera and smiles at him. He almost thinks he sees gold, but quickly shakes the thought away. She is running, getting away. That is all that matters. As soon as she was back by his side, he would breathe easier.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

"De Maggio, take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?"

"You, with me." She points at Rose and Adam. Adam quickly follows, Rose only a slight bit slower. She moves faster as she hears the Dalek smash the monitors. She hears one of the other soldiers claim that they are abandoning the Cage. The Dalek is repairing itself. Soon, there will be nothing to stop it.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

"We're losing power. It's draining the base. Oh, my God. It's draining entire power supplies for the whole of Utah."

"It's downloading."

"Downloading what?"

"Sir, the entire West Coast has gone down."

"It's not just energy. That Dalek just absorbed the entire internet. It knows everything."

"_THE DALEKS SURVIVE IN ME!" _They watch as the Dalek uses it's weapon, destroying the rest of the equipment.

"The cameras in the vault have gone down."

"We've only got emergency power. It's eaten everything else. You've got to kill it now!"

"All guards to converge in the Metaltron cage, immediately."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose and Adam follow de Maggio through the maze of the subbasement. As they run through the corridor, soldiers are running past.

"Civilians! Let them through!" Rose and Adam, and de Maggio, run through the incoming guards. Rose turns, watching as the Dalek rounds the corner and comes into sight.

"Cover the north wall. Red division, maintain suppressing fire along the perimeter. Blue division-ARGH!" They all watch as the Dalek fires, lighting the man from the inside. His skeleton is visible for a moment before he collapses. Other guards come from behind. He swivels his eye stalk, then his middle section with the weapon and fires. Soon, all of the soldiers in the corridor are dead. The Dalek, finished with its task, continues down the corridor, following Rose. For some reason, it feels the need to follow her. One way or another, it would find out the reason.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

In Van Statten's office, he flips through the cameras, following the Dalek.

"Tell them to stop shooting at it." Van Statten yells at Goddard. Goddard looks at him as if she is only just now seeing him for the first time.

"But it's killing them!"

"They're dispensable. That Dalek is unique. I don't want a scratch on its bodywork, do you hear me? Do you hear me?" His head snaps up at the screen. Silence has fallen in the corridor. They look to the monitor, in horror, at the number of dead bodies. Goddard types on the computer again, bringing up a 3D rendition of the complex.

"That's us, right below the surface. That's the cage, and that's the Dalek."

"This museum of yours. Have you got any alien weapons?"

"Lots of them, but the trouble is the Dalek's between us and them."

"We've got to keep that thing alive. We could just seal the entire vault, trap it down there." Anger flares in the Doctor. Before he knows it, before he can think, he has Van Statten backed up against a wall, his face centimeters from Van Statten's. His voice is low and dangerous.

"Leaving everyone trapped with it. Rose is down there. I won't let that happen. Have you got that?" Van Statten nods mutely. The Doctor turns back to Goddard, letting Van Statten have a moment to compose himself. He points to an area on the map. "It's got to go through this area. What's that?"

"Weapons testing."

"Give guns to the technicians, the lawyers, anyone. Everyone. Only then have you got a chance of killing it."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose, Adam, and de Maggio ran through the facility, towards the stairs. Safety was up top, near the surface. Near the TARDIS and the Doctor. Her stomach falls as the stairs are no deterrent. Even more so because she knows de Maggio will get herself killed trying to face it.

Rose runs, Adam just ahead of her, through the corridors. Hoping she will make it back to her home.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Back in Van Statten's office, the Doctor is fuming. The man is still insisting on keeping the Dalek alive even though the Doctor has proven that all it wants to do is kill.

"I thought you were the great expert, Doctor. If you're so impressive, then why not just reason with this Dalek? It must be willing to negotiate. There must be something it needs. Everything needs something."

"What's the nearest town?"

"Salt Lake City."

"Population?"

"One million."

"All dead. If the Dalek gets out, it'll murder every living creature. That's all it needs."

"But why would it do that?" Van Statten looks to finally be getting it. The Doctor shakes his head. _A bit late for that now.  
_  
"Because it honestly believes they should die. Human beings are different, and anything different is wrong. It's the ultimate in racial cleansing and you, Van Statten, you've let it loose! The Dalek's surrounded by a force field. The bullets are melting before they even hit home, but it's not indestructible. If you concentrate your fire, you might get through. Aim for the dome, the head, the eyepiece. That's the weak spot."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

All soldiers and civilians, with the exception of Rose and Adam, are armed. The message from the Doctor has been relayed. Rose and Adam run through a cluster of these same soldiers, all banking of stopping the Dalek now. It enters the room, just as they get across. She feels the creep up her spine as the Dalek zooms in on her, still trying to figure out what she has done to it. The Wolf grins. She knows what is happening and it is a lesson learned the hard way for both the Doctor.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Back in Van Statten's office, the cameras come back on. Van Statten and Goddard are surprised, but the Doctor is not.

"We've got vision."

"It wants us to see."

They watch as the Dalek decimates the room.

"Perhaps it's time for a new strategy. Maybe we should consider abandoning this place."

"Except there's no power to the helipad, sir. We can't get out."

"Van Statten, you said we could seal the vault."

"It was designed to be a bunker in the event of nuclear war. Steel bulkheads."

"There's not enough power, those bulkheads are massive."

"We've got emergency power. We can re-route that to the bulkhead doors."

"We'd have to bypass the security codes. That would take a computer genius." Van Statten smirks at Goddard and nudges her out of the way.

"Good thing you've got me, then."

"You want to help?" Van Statten cringes.

"I don't want to die, Doctor. Simple as that. And nobody knows this software better than me."

"Sir." Goddard gets both of their attentions. The Dalek has finished with the room. Each and every person that tried to stand it's ground is dead on the floor.

_"I SHALL SPEAK ONLY TO THE DOCTOR!"_

"You're going to get rusty."

_"I FED OFF OF THE DNA OF ROSE TYLER. EXTRAPOLATING THE BIOMASS OF A TIME TRAVELER REGENERATED ME!"_

"What's your next trick?"

_"I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE DALEKS!"_

"Yeah, I saw. Downloading the internet. What did you find?"

_I SCANNED YOUR SATELLITES AND RADIO TELESCOPES!_

"And?"

_"NOTHING. WHERE SHALL I GET MY ORDERS NOW?"_

"You're just a soldier without commands."

_"THEN I SHALL FOLLOW THE PRIMARY ORDERS, THE DALEK INSTINCT TO DESTROY, TO CONQUER!"_

"What for? What's the point? Don't you see it's all gone? Everything you were, everything you stood for."

"_THEN WHAT SHOULD I DO?"_ This gives the Doctor pause. He's never had a Dalek question it's existence.

"All right, then. If you want orders, follow this one. Kill yourself."

"_THE DALEKS MUST SURVIVE!" _

"The Daleks have failed! Why don't you finish the job and make the Daleks extinct. Rid the Universe of your filth. Why don't you just die?"

"_YOU WOULD MAKE A GOOD DALEK!" _ The screen goes blank before the Doctor has a chance to reply. Van Statten is still working frantically with the computer, rerouting power to seal off the lower levels. His blood runs colder than normal. Rose is still down there. He dials her on her mobile.

_"This isn't the best time."_

"Where are you?"

_"Level forty-nine." _

"You've got to keep moving. The vault's being sealed off up at level forty six."

"_Can't you stop them closing?"_

"I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for God's sake, run!"

"_We're nearly there. Give us two seconds."_

"Doctor, I can't sustain the power. The whole system is failing. Doctor, you've got to close the bulkheads."

"I'm sorry." He whispers, and presses the button to close the vault. "Rose, where are you? Rose, did you make it?"

"_Sorry, I was a bit slow. See you, then, Doctor. It wasn't your fault. Remember that, okay? It wasn't your fault. And do you know what? I wouldn't have missed it for the world."_

"_EXTERMINATE!" _

"I killed her." A single, silent tear runs down his face.

"I'm sorry."

"I said I'd protect her. She was only here because of me, and you're sorry? I could've killed that Dalek in it's cell, but you stopped me."

"It was the prize of my collection!"

"Your collection? But was it worth it? Worth all those men's deaths? Worth Rose? Let me tell you something, Van Statten. Mankind goes into space to explore, to be part of something greater."

"Exactly! I wanted to touch the stars!"

"You just want to drag the stars down and stick them underground, underneath tons of sand and dirt, and label them. You're about as far from the stars as you can get. And you took her down with you. She was nineteen years old."

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Rose looks at the Dalek. She's not afraid. A part of her knows exactly how this will play out. She can almost feel the emotions rolling off the Dalek. Emotions that it shouldn't have, but does because of her. She knows the exact moment the Dalek decides to confront the Doctor again.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Adam enters Van Statten's office and the Doctor rounds on him. Finally, a place to direct his anger.

"You were quick on your feet, leaving Rose behind."

"I'm not the one who sealed the vault!" Before either can argue more, the Dalek's voice is heard once again.

"OPEN THE BULKHEAD OR ROSE TYLER DIES!"

"You're alive!"

_"I am" _ Her voice is two-toned. He looks around the room to see if anyone else notices but he can't tell from their expressions alone.

"I thought you were dead."

"OPEN THE BULKHEAD!" The Doctor stares at Rose. She gives an almost imperceptible nod. _What are you up to. Rose?_

"WHAT USE ARE EMOTIONS IF YOU WILL NOT SAVE THE WOMAN YOU LOVE?" The Doctor closes his eyes.

"I killed her once. I can't do it again." He presses the button to raise the bulkhead and holds his breath.

"What do we do now, you bleeding heart. What the hell do we do?" Van Statten almost spits in the Doctor's face, unwilling to face the fact that this would have been over hours ago had he let the Doctor destroy it when it was weak and defenseless.

"Kill it when it gets here." Goddard shakes her head at Adam. The Doctor watches, holding his tongue for now.

"All the guns are useless, and the alien weapons are in the vault." Adam's posture changes slightly but the Doctor notices. He looks almost, guilty. Serves him right.

"Only the catalogued ones." Van Statten glares at Adam, his greed taking the forefront again. The Doctor, contrary to what he feels, gently pulls Adam to the side.

"Show me." Adam takes him to his workshop, on the same level as Van Statten's office. The Doctor sorts through the junk in the room getting more and more frustrated.

"Broken. Broken. Hairdryer."

"Mister Van Statten tends to dispose of his staff, and when he does he wipes their memory. I kept this stuff in case I needed to fight my way out one day."

"What, you in a fight? I'd like to see that."

"I could do."

"What're you going to do, throw your A-Levels at 'em? Oh, yes. Lock and load." He grabs the weapon and heads out the door. He turns abruptly and glares at Adam, menace in his eyes. He advances slowly, like a panther stalking it's prey. Adam backs away as fast as he can, until he hits a wall. He stares wide-eyed at the full Oncoming Storm.

"You left Rose down there to die. I had no choice in what I did and the only reason I reopened that bulkhead is because she was still alive. I will not lose her again. Do not think for a second I will not end your miserable little ape life. Rose means more to me than anything. Do not follow me. As a matter of fact, do yourself a favor and leave now. Because by the time I'm done with the place, there will be nothing left. Understood?"

Adam nods weakly. The Doctor's eyes flick across his face quickly, trying to see any hints of malicious intent. He's pleased to see that he has sufficiently scared the boy. He turns and stalks out the door, intent on finding the Dalek and ending this.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

They use the lift to climb higher through the basement. Rose glances at the Dalek every few moments, judging how far along in it's process it is. They finally reach Van Statten's level and make their way to his office.

"I'm begging you, don't kill them. You didn't kill me."

"BUT WHY NOT? WHY ARE YOU ALIVE? MY FUNCTION IS TO KILL. WHAT AM I?"

They reach Van Statten's office and walk inside. Goddard and Van Statten see them and both run to the other end of the room. Van Statten is obviously scared but Goddard is still defiant. Rose has to give her a bit of respect. She responds well in a crisis.

"Don't move. Don't do anything. It's beginning to question itself."

"VAN STATTEN. YOU TORTURED ME. WHY?"

"I wanted to help you. I just, I don't know. I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you. I wanted you better. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I swear, I just wanted you to talk!" He is pressed against the wall, cowering from the Dalek.

"THEN HEAR ME TALK NOW. EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

"No. Don't kill him. That reason was weak. We both know it. So tell me, Henry Van Statten, why did you torture it?" Her voice is two-toned again and her eyes golden. Last time, she was so weak. But this entire situation has angered both of them. Together, they question. Together, they will find an answer.

"I wanted to understand it. To see how it ticks. But it wouldn't talk. I didn't know what else to do. Pain usually makes a great motivator."

"Greed and lust, Henry Van Statten, are the worst sins. You'd do well to remember that. Well, if you can remember anything." Rose looks pointedly at Goddard. The woman tilts her head slightly and nods. They turn and leave the office, Van Statten shaken and Goddard considering Rose's words.

In the hallway, the Dalek stops.

"I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE NOW. WHY I HAVE CHANGED. YOU ARE THE ABOMINATION. THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE DALEKS."

"I am. I am the Bad Wolf. Are you frightened of me?"

"YES."

"What is it you want now, Dalek?"

"I WANT...FREEDOM." Rose smiles to herself. They continue on, to the final level. The Dalek blasts the wall and sunlight shines through. They both bask in sunlight before she turns to it, beaming smile on her face.

"You're out. You made it."

"HOW DOES IT FEEL?"

"Fantastic. See for yourself." She watches as the Dalek open it's shell. She does not shy away from the creature inside. She smiles wider. She can hear heavy footfalls coming closer. It's almost time for him to see as well.

"Get out of the way. Rose, get out of the way now!"

"No. I won't let you do this."

"That thing killed hundreds of people."

"It's not the one pointing the gun at me."

"I've got to end this, Rose. You have no idea what those things did to me, to my people and my home. I've got nothing left."

"Silly man. You have everything left. It has nothing. Look at it, Doctor."

"What's it doing?"

"It's the sunlight, that's all it wants."

"But—that doesn't make sense."

"I am the Bad Wolf, Doctor. Do you really think it could absorb my DNA and not change?" The Doctor, still confused, can't answer.

"What is it you love most about me?" He starts at the change in questioning.

"Your compassion. You care so much, about everything."

"And that fused with the Dalek, confusing it. He's mutating. He doesn't have much time left. Allow him this."

"But it can't-"

"It couldn't kill Van Statten, it couldn't kill me. It's changing. What about you, Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?"

"I couldn't. I wasn't. Oh, Rose."

"WHY DO WE SURVIVE?"

"I don't know."

"I AM THE LAST OF THE DALEKS."

"You're not even that. Rose did more than regenerate you."

"I KNOW. I CAN FEEL SO MUCH. ROSE TYLER, ORDER ME TO DIE." She looks sad for a moment, before straightening her back and nodding.

"Do it." They watch as the Dalek levitates, creating a protective shield around itself. Even now, it will not hurt Rose. He implodes, the explosion contained within the forcefield.

"Let's go home, Doctor." He smiles widely at her as they make their way to the TARDIS.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

The Doctor opens the door of the TARDIS for her. She pauses in the doorway and looks at him.

"I had to do it. To touch it. It was the only way to make you see." He stares at her, trying to decipher her meaning.

"Get me to see what, exactly?"

"That anyone can change, Doctor. Even a Dalek. Even you. This would have happened regardless."

"I thought I lost you." His voice is barely a whisper. He touches her cheek gently, almost in disbelief that she is alright.

"You won't lose me, Doctor. I've promised you forever. I intend to keep that promise." Her lips ghost over his. Before either can deepen the kiss, they hear someone running up behind them. They both turn and look and see Adam. The Doctor tenses, glaring at the boy.

"Doctor, Rose, Van Statten is missing. They're talking about sealing the place, filling it with concrete. We have to get out of here."

Rose squeezes the Doctor's arm, forcing him to look at her. He's startled by how much gold is in her eyes and how beautiful they look. He's floored, however, at her request.

"Can we give him a lift home?"

"He left you, Rose. You still want to help him?"

"Yes. Just a lift. Not an adventure. He doesn't deserve that and honestly, I'm content with just the two of us. Besides, you owe me a holiday. I expect you to deliver." He sighs. He'll give her anything, honestly. He turns to Adam.

"Alright. We'll give you a lift. But remember what I told you earlier. That still stands." Adam looks horrified and confused. Rose thinks it's cute, and sums his reaction to the Doctor nicely.

"In the box, Adam."

"But, how can we all fit?"

"Why don't you come in and see." With that she turns and saunters in to the TARDIS. After a moment's hesitation, mostly because of the Doctor's obvious threats, he follows after.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_I don't think I changed as much as I really wanted to with this episode. The biggest change was to make sure it was clear that Rose has no interest in Adam. The other, was because she knew what she was doing when she touched that Dalek. Obviously the Wolf knew. They will be merged completely soon enough._

_Also, there is a reference at the beginning of the chapter to other adventures. One of those is the second chapter of "Drabbles". It's a cute little one shot where Rose let's her shields and insecurities fall. I will be delving deeper into that in the next couple of in between chapters._


	14. The TARDIS Maze

_I do not own Doctor Who_

_This chapter is going to focus solely on Adam. It's going to be short, not much more than a Drabble. The next chapter will focus on Rose and the Doctor. I'm hoping to do lots of things in that chapter._

_*******Update**: I updated the Chapter 'Sundresses'. Specifically the part where Rose is talking about her time with Jimmy. For how I want this to go, it didn't make sense for it to be months. I actually changed it to hours because it makes more sense with where I want this story to go. More explanations in a few chapters._

_******Important**: My schedule at work is changing. I used to write some at work but I won't be able to any more. Getting a new job with new responsibilities. Yay me. I'll try to write more on my off time but this may affect updates._

**The TARDIS Maze**

Adam's jaw drops as he enters the TARDIS. Rose barely hides a snicker.

"Welcome aboard the TARDIS, Adam." The Doctor seems to be amused by Adam's wonder and awe.

"It's bigger on the inside." The Doctor snorts. Adam watches as the man seems to dance around the center column.

"I've put her in the Vortex. Rose, can you show Adam to the Galley for now?" She raises an eye brow but nods. He follows her, without much question.

Quickly enough, they arrive. It's pretty straight forward and if he needs to, he knows he can find his way back.

"Don't mind him. He gets a bit territorial."

"Yeah..." Adam doesn't tell her about the threat. As frightening as the Doctor is, he doesn't really think that he would hurt Adam. Well, not so long as Adam doesn't do anything to hurt Rose. That was made pretty clear.

"Anyway, help yourself. There's plenty of food and drinks. We shouldn't be too long. Don't wander off."

He stares after her when she leaves. What he wouldn't give to have her. But he already knows he's not got a chance.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He waits for an hour before he gets bored enough to raid the pantry. He fixes himself a quick sandwich and sits down to eat. So far, this has been anything but magnificent. Then again, he wasn't promised anything, just a ride home. He's strangely saddened by this. A squandered opportunity because he saved his own skin.

The Doctor he could understand, to a point. He is alien, so his customs are probably different than those from Earth. It's Rose that Adam doesn't get. It's not even the fact that she's in love with an alien. It's the weird ways he's seen her act since meeting her. Most of the time she acts like a normal girl. But other times...other times he's not so sure. She seemed to act possessed at the bunker. That glow in her eyes that at the time, he thought he'd imagined. Now, he's not so sure. Her voice had also seemed weird in those times. Almost two-toned, more than her normal voice. He shakes his head. Doesn't matter what she is or isn't. She's not his.

He shakes his head, trying to clear his thoughts. No use in analyzing them. He wouldn't be here long anyway.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

At the two hour mark, he gives up waiting on them. The contents of his backpack lost their appeal quickly. Now, he's completely bored. She'd said not to wander off, but what could it hurt to just go back to the Main Room? He remembers the way.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

Obviously, he is crazy. Or there's more to this ship than he first thought. He's wandered the halls for what seems like hours and still hasn't made it back to that first room. He also hasn't found the Galley again. He HAS encountered endless corridors and countless rooms.

Most rooms have been nondescript. And he seems to come across the same bedroom over and over again. Finally, he gives up. He enters the bedroom and immediately collapses on the bed. It's the most comfortable bed he has ever lain on. It doesn't take long at all for him to fall asleep.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

He's jolted from his slumber from a loud banging on his door.

"Get up! We're here!"

He groggily clambers out of the bed. By the door, he can see his back pack. The fog clouding his brain keeps him from wondering exactly how his things ended up in this room.

The Doctor is waiting for him outside. His stance and amused glance tell Adam that he seems to be in a much better mood. Again, no use dwelling on the reasons why.

"How long was I gone?" He didn't want to say lost. He didn't want to admit that was the case.

"Twelve hours, thirty-one minutes. Have a good nap?" Again, he hears laughter in the Doctor's voice. Whatever Rose said to him must have been good. He didn't seem quite as tense as he had earlier. Adam merely nods at the question, though.

"Like I said, we're there. Gather your things and let's get to the Console Room." Adam shrugs on his back pack and follows the Doctor.

**~DW~~DW~~DW~**

_Short and sweet. Why he needed to be missing for over twelve hours will be explained in the next chapter._


End file.
